Believe to Achieve

less than zero degrees at 4am,  SOOOOO NOTTTTTTTT running.  Plus the roads are all ICE.  Like I need my legs this year.  Off to work for 13 long hours at 6am.  Got off work late and no GYMS open and I don't own a TM and jogging in place is NOT an option.  So I bailed.  The first day of the year and I didn't run.  Terribly pathetic.  My New Year starts Monday then.

To the rec center with Troy at 9:20am.  Feel bloated and gross.  Was super nauseated ALL day at work yesterday that I skipped breakfast and lunch.  Troy had dinner ready when I got home so forced myself to eat.  Today I just was not in the mood to run.  Kind of feel depressed.  I knew if I started I could get myself feeling better so I just got on and turned up the pace quickly.  AP for 10 miles=  7:24.  First three at 2%, last 7 at 1 %.  It was RATHER BUSY at the gym and I was getting overstimulated with the sounds of basketball games and TMs, and bike wheels turning along with the most ridiculous shows on television and my SHAKING TM.  I think this rec center is slanted.  I tend to run only on the left side of the TM because it pulls me that way and my left leg bothers me after I run on it.  Can't wait to do ALL my SW outside again.  Hurry up warmer weather or just give me some clear roads.  Happy New Year since I am counting this as my first day of the year, having worked the last two days.

I guess I'll mention it.  My left leg/hip is failing me.  I didn't run Sat or Sun and ran that 15 miler in the ARTIC on Friday and just one TM run yesterday (slanted TM that shook like a dog I tell ya) and its out of whack.  It killed walking around on it yesterday from my hip/piriformis to the inside of my knee (where I fell last Monday) to the outside of my calf to the bottom of my foot and big toe.  The nerves are all on fire.  I so don't want to start another injury-filled year and so don't want to go to the chiropracter but I think the fall plus the ridiculous TMs at PG rec are to blame.  I also need a deep tissue massage.  I guess I know what I am getting for my birthday coming up : D.  Nonetheless I trudged along on this morning OUTDOOR run on the hillsides of PG up and down rolling all around.  I was in pain and it was COLD and the roads  were still NOT clear but I just kept at it, my  left quad was soooo tight.  I just ran easy but picked it up slightly at the end.  The first mile was very slow, 9:24.  AP for 10.1 hilly miles= 8:14.  Now I am icing my  quad.  Just when things were going so well.  I am going to be optimistic though and nip this problem soon!!

Nada.  But I guess  I could count running non-stop at work for 13.5 hours.  I would have rather been running a 50 miler somewhere but that doesn't  pay the bills  : D.  I had the worst burning pain in my head,stomach, back, and leg, all on the left.  These attacks come out of nowhere.  I mentioned it on Tuesday but it seriously got so bad I had to take 1/2 a pain pill to sleep last night.  I got to work with extreme nausea and burning pain...but as with all my other "attacks" if I keep plugging along it eventually goes away, so I try hard to ignore the pain and just do my work.  It just so happened to be incredibly busy so the action never ended and even stayed over an hour.  I got home to a phone call from Kim to join her and Jane for a 10 miler in the early am.  I was so nauseated and achy all over but OF course I agreed.   A detox run would do me good....if they let me warm up.  Details to follow....see Thursday's report.

Met Kim and Jane at 5:50am.  THE ABSOLUTE COLDEST RUN I HAVE RUN OUTDOORS THIS SEASON!!!!!  YIKES!!   7 degrees (not including windchill and inversion). My legs were so stiff and frozen.  I had only two layers there but 5 layers on top including the huge 80s pullover.  My cheeks on my face were numb until I pounded them back to life.  I never felt like taking off my top layer in fear of instant ice over of my sweat.  At first Kim and Jane were going too fast for frozen ol' me and after almost three miles I warmed up and was able to get up with them and even push the pace a bit.  We ran the hilly route I ran Tuesday similar to the one I ran with Mel for our 20 miler.  It has some nice "recoveries" and then  back at it for another uphill.  It was tough especially in the cold.  My hair was crystalized white.  The AIR IS HEAVILY polluted.  Inversion made my mouth taste aluminum-like.  Luckily Kim had a cough drop that to me tasted like Cotton Candy.  YUM!!  It sure helped the last two miles.  We ran just over 10 miles together but I had further to go to get home so I got in 11.  AP for 11 = 7:46.  Left leg bugged me for the last 6 miles but it was so cold the pain was not as intense.  Went to the gym later with Troy-- did upper body work x 3 (flys, overheads, biceps (2 types), triceps (2types), and rows.  Finshed with a 2 minute elbow plank, and two left then right 45 seconds side planks (total 90 sec), finale-- straight arm plank x 60 seconds.  This was hard after doing so many weights.  I shook a lot even though it felt easy.  My hands on the hard floor made it too difficult to continue longer than that.  Happy Day.  I feel much better now.  

TM run with Troy.  Easy run day.  Long run (15 miler) planned with Melanie tomorrow on the FROZEN SOLID EARTH!!!   Ran real slow at first.  2% incline until mile 8 where I put it at 1%.  First mile 9:05, last mile 6:35.    Left hip/sciatica a REAL BUGGER right now.  Guess its time to fork over the mula I don't for an adjustment today.  Blah!!  Felt really strong on the last mile.  AP for 8 = 7:57.  Wore my new shoes, mizuno  precisions.  The current pair are worn thin on the left inside heel.  Hmmmm some problem with that left foot strike.  It drags apparently.  I just don't have time for a bunionectomy on that foot.  My right foot was done in 1996 because it was worse and  I land perfectly on the right and usually NEVER have a problem with that side.  My big toe on the left curves outward into my other toes and makes my push off crooked.  By the time I have time I will be 80 years old-- too old for surgery.  

18 miles with Melanie.  13 miles out in the frozen tundra, fog, pollution, windchill around Thanksgiving Point.  AP here 7:21.  First mile 8:09, last mile 6:58.  Thighs frozen, face burning.  Then brief stop at Mel's house and an impromptu run (Mel needed to drop something off at the rec center she works at) to the rec center.  Thawed out in 1 minute in my car that I felt like I had jumped in a pool of water when we started back out in the cold again.  1.75 miles to rec center. We were so melting now so we ran on the TMs (impromptu again) for 2 miles at 7:30 AP.  OH so LOVE those TMs.  No shaking.  Felt like I was moon walking. We felt like we could keep going but must be on our way outdoors.  Frozen sweat run back to Mel's house in a swift pace.  Last mile 7:10.   Total AP for 18 miles=  7:24!!!!  YIPPEE!!  Now its time for my 8 year old's baptism!!! All in a days work  : D.  Thanks Melanie for getting me to work hard.  Thanks for the icicle run and the warm TM!!!

PM-- 7 hours later and I feel like I didn't even run yet today.  Leg pain all gone.  It acted up quite a bit during the run and now nothing.  Got adjusted last night at 6pm.  He said my left hip, knee and ankle were all out.  I heard them "pop" back into place.  It still hurt all last night.  I guess the nerve needed some time to realize it wasn't "pinched" anymore. 

ICE skated to the rec center ever so carefully--  AP for "warm up"  3 @ 9:14.  Did one of those leg out and up and to the side to an almost crash slide on my back but managed to stay upright just after I felt it might be safe to pick up the pace.  Lots of black ice lurking under the skiff of a snow fall on the frozen ground.  Wasn't worth going any faster.  I tried to relax after that but I remained too cautious.  Ran 8 miles on the TM at 2% grade at AP 7:46.  One mile  acutally was at 1% near the end then I went back up to 2% sprinting at 10 mph to beat 62 minutes  (60 minute TM Cut off time with the allotted cooldown preprogramed by the rec) on the TM, missed it by 8 seconds so I had to wait for the TM to reboot to get in a few more "steps" to get 8 miles!!  ARGHH!!!.  NEXT TIME!!!      also did arms-- biceps (2 types), triceps (2 types), flies, shoulder raises, rows.  2 sets of 10- 12.  Troy wanting to leave.  He ran 6 miles on the TM!!!  I have a headache.  And my cheeks are going numb and tingly (not from the cold).  Yesterday  I put on some earrings for the first time in years and wore them all day.  I am allergic to some metals...After itching a lot yesterday, .I awoke today with puffy cheeks and a swollen eyelid.  Hence the numb cheeks.  Still no more earrings for me. 

Continue READING to get the full jist of my day today.  Feel lucky.  I was called at 430am to be asked if I want to be on call.  I was awakened from a dream so of course I said yes.  But then I couldn't fall back to sleep.  And then I thought, I guess I can run today.  I wasn't about to run outside before work otherwise.  Apparently it was 0 degrees out.  I finally fell asleep at 530am.  Thought about doing my intended workout for tomorrow TODAY.  This way I could be on schedule with Mel and Kim.  I decided to go to Mel's gym in Lehi since the TMs there are better, albeit CROWDED (all the TMs touch each other). When I got there, I realized  I didn't have my music but since it took 20 minutes to get there I had to run SANS music for SW in a crowded gym.  First bad sign.  Started out and the TM I was on felt hard even at 8:57 pace. Second bad sign. So I decided to just go easy for the day but then I fought that thought and felt I should just get it done since I am here.  Got on a front row TM under a fan after a sweltering 3 mile warm up in the back row.  Here is what I ran:  3 mile warm up=  8:57, 8:30, 8:00 at 1 %.  Then SW 3 x 3 miles at a fast pace:  6:44, 6:44, 6:44, then very brief water break since I had no fuel or water bottle and then one mile at 8:20, then 6:44, 6:40, 6:40.  All at 1 %.  Then water break.  Then MAJOR DISTRACTION PROBLEM!!!!  I had left my TM going at 6.7  mph while I hurried out the gate to the water and back and another woman there was commenting how her and I were the only ones sweating in the cardio area.  She was glad she wasn't the only one and just as I said something like "really..."  I stepped on to MY MOVING TM AND CRASHED LIKE NO OTHER!!!  I WENT FLYING DOWN AND WAS EATEN UP THEN SPIT OUT BY THE TM.  Imagine those cartoons that you see donald duck getting flattened over and over and quacking every time he surfaced.  That was me.  OH MY HECK DID THAT HURT but I was SUPER EMBARRASSED and got right up.  I currently have about 5 large bruises-- one on my shoulder, elbow, knee, shin amd butt Not to mention the twisted lower back because I was flung sideways. OH I could have made YOU TUBE with this one.  There was even a video camera placed right at my TM.  I told the front desk to review the tape and have a good laugh or cry.  I was VERY frustrated but persevered.  Had I not just read Dean Karnazes book Ultramarathon Man and how he pushed the limits of the body I would not have gotten myself back on that TM.  After a trip to the bathroom I got back on for 3 more SW miles after a .25 mile warmup at 8:00 pace to test for broken bones.  These miles were run at 6:44, 6:40, and 6:22!!  with a sprint at the end for .1 at 5:56 pace. Cooldown mile at 8:00 pace.  A few HOURS later I felt like I was hit by a truck.  I am tender where I shouldn't be tender.  Didn't help that I lifted weights yesterday adding to the intensity.  OUCH!!!  I really hurt.  But NOTHING broken obviously.  Total body bruise makeover.  BTW all the miles felt quite good.  6:44 pace felt VERY doable for many more miles.  

7 ACHING miles around the track at PG rec.  Figured outdoors and TM runs UNsafe for me.  But of course the track direction was the direction I twisted myself.  I awoke to a very ANGRY quad and burning pain in my lower back through my butt.  Along with my aching neck, upper left arm and shoulder and PINKY finger.  Yes I fell straight down in to a moving Treadmill (or DREADmill as April calls it) hands then left arm then shoulder then a twist to the right and a fling thru the butt cheek and AWAY I went.  Well that was yesterday.  Full report there.  NOW I feel very much like I took a bad fall.  BUT I decided to just start running around PG's little track (1 mile = 6 1/3 laps.  It was crowded but worked out okay.  First mile my right quad and lower back could barely move.  I was hobbling.  The more I ran the less hobbling became a problem.  The quad remained very tight especially as we were circling RIGHT.  Blah.  But I was in cruise control.  I had my music and was passing everyone dozens of times.  AP for  6.66 easy miles =  8:04.  This includes all my swerving and dodging.  It kept my mind off the monotony of around and around and around the track (42 times).  I wasn't sure how many laps = a mile until I was done and asked the front desk.   Someone on the track said 6 laps = mile but I knew that had to be false since it felt very easy.  Hence 6 1/3 laps = mile.  : D.  

so I thought I'd go out for 10 miles.  Boy was I wrong.   I could barely make it out of my cul-de-sac.  I could barely trigger my quad to lift and go in a running motion.  It is so sore.  Like after a marathon.  Then I noticed my back pulling and my butt nerve being pressed cause part of my butt went numb.  I kept saying turn around but then I just hobbled along ever so pathetically slow to Kim's.   Said hello and then returned home limping more so since it was more downhill.  Ouch.  2.2 miles at 10:37 AP.  How's that for taking it "easy".  

Worked all day. Can't move leg very well.  Quad very tight and back painful.  I think I messed with my disc with that fall.  Butt goes numb at times.  Burning nerve pain.  Migraine to go along with it.  Set off by lots of colognes at work.  Dang.  Came home went to the movies with my family and saw Secretariat.  Back felt better after ibuprofen and sitting in fetal position thru the movie.  

Worked all day.    Lower right back still ailing.  Can tell hip is WAY out.  Going to chiro on Monday.  Decided to "try" running after work (7pm) in the darkness.  Nice weather however.  Quad tight then painful.  Thought maybe I should stop but kept at it. Around 4 miles it got better than reappeared pretty good the last mile.  Kept it easy.  Don't want to burst anything.  Really frustrated that my FALL ever happened.  What do you do?  Get over it.  I keep replaying the tragic fall over and over.  Man it hurt.  I can't imagine surviving a hit and run by a car.  Those people you read about that survive those hits and come out fighting hard and then run a marathon.  That is quite a feat.  I was just in a TM hit.  Minor compared to that.  But major in my mind because I was "all ready" for next week.  Now I will have to second guess my ability if my quad screams at me.  Tears.  Blah!!!  Oh well, I am ALIVE.  That's what matters.  Ran 6.1 miles @ 8:32 pace.  I don't think my heart felt that run at all.  My leg sure did.  In fact my left leg had to do all the pulling for my right.  I felt like I had two new malaligned legs on.  It was the weirdest run.  I felt like they weren't even my legs/hips.  Adjustment so necessary.   Work again tomorrow.  Good night!!

10.1 miler-- that hilly route in the foothills of PG.  Now why is my left leg sore?  Oh yah, it was dragging my right leg Saturday night.  I also have this weird nerve impulse in my left abdominal muscle by my belly button.  Its been there since Saturday night.  It feels like little fingers dragging on my skin from the inside in short impulses.  I think I pulled that muscle too in my 180 degree twist and send off from the TM last Tuesday.  I didn't feel my right quad hurting until downhills around mile 6.5.  Glad this race is a flat course this Saturday.  Ran easy today.  First mile 9:16.  Last mile 7:08.  Felt very malaligned still.  Just got a coupon for money off my chiropracter but is good for Wednesday only.  I will wait until then after work.  Luckily he is open until 7pm.  No big hard workouts planned anyway.  A forced taper.  Hopefully it pays off.  I expect a time of 1:32 or better.  But hey I might fall again. I have had this fear lately whenever I run now.  I see myself falling.  Must start  visualizing "strong Julie" to cure this.  Today I started out in rain then brief hail then brief windchill then breaks in the clouds to reveal a BLUE sky.  : D.  Temp above 30.  A huge RELIEF.  : DDDDDD.   AP for 10.1 miles=  8:08.

Met up with Kim at 5:50am.  Ran a little over three miles  warm up then 4 x 800s at goal half marathon (fantasy goal that is) pace.  We were winded and it was colder than I thought after removing some layers.  I felt cold and VERY achy the entire run.  Like arthritis OLD LADY phenomena.  This happens from time to time. At least it is now and NOT this Saturday.  800s were run at 6:36, 6:44 (good uphill portion), 6:32, 6:20 (some downhill).  At least feeling crappy I was still able to go faster than goal pace.   We ran 800s in between each one at an easy 7:50-8:10 pace.  Kim did really well but not as well as she hoped.  We blame it on DARKNESS, potholes to worry about and UNusually busy at all our crossings.  Of course we were running our 800s at these points.  Total miles here= 10.1.  Oh yah our "warmup" AP for two miles was  7:41.  Good thing I made her do an 8:35 mile the first one.  Geez.   Cooldown for 2.8 miles at 7:42 pace.  LATER at the REC center with my hunny:  5 miles on the track.  First one really easy with Troy (9:25) then I just felt really good so did a relaxed easy pace for four more miles, last two at 7:42, 7:42.  AP for 5 miles=  8:18.  Then I biked for 12 minutes moderate pace.  Ended with upper body three sets of 10-12 reps (7 types of arm excercises) and front plank x 60 sec and 30 sec each side.  Took the weights down a notch.  I still have residual soreness from the fall.  Don't want reminders.  : D.  15.1 total miles for the day.

Very stiff this morning.  Ran EASY at 4:55 am for 3 1/2 miles then met up with my DAUGHTER Courtney for 1/2 mile.  She told me last night that she wanted to run with me.  She has asked several times and she specifically asked to go this morning early.  She met me at 5:35am.  Actually I had to go get her from her sitting in her bed with her gear on wondering if she was running in the rain or not.  Of course I told her.  She ran a 11:00 pace, so my AP for all 4 miles was nice and easy 8:58.  Not sure why I am so achy everywhere. Probably the rainy weather.  Worked all day today in the NICU at UVRMC.  Long day.  Cute babies though.  

10 VERY ACHY VERY FORCED RUN!!  all my joints achy, mostly knees, lower back and wrists.  I feel so old.  This has been going on for four days now and this was the worst day by far.  This morning when I awoke lying prone (my stomach) I could not turn over as my back was "locked up" and to try to turn it hurt QUITE a bit. I had to tell my husband next to me to rub my lower back so  I could loosen up and be able to turn over.  I feel like I have a virus in my joints.  I rarely (last documented was a year ago December for three days)  get "colds" any more the traditional way--  I seem to get nerve pains, headaches and joint aches.  An off the wall immune response.  I guess I will try and take it easy.   I work a few hours today for a coworker so she can go to a class (4.5 hrs) and am off tomorrow.  I will try some acetaminophen now.  Just typing my fingers feel achy.  Here goes the fall apart before the race.  My body tries to tell my mind NOT to race.  It just won't listen.  But it will listen to taking it easy for one more day.  I am running only 5 miles tomorrow.  AP today on a hilly cedar hills run for 10 miles= 8:21.   

Felt soooo tight upon awakening, espec. left lower leg.  Left foot feels painful.   Also had a pretty bad headache as I left work.  Several coworkers came on shift with lots of perfume on and I quickly got a migraine on the right side of my face and down my neck to my lower spine.  Burning pain.  It didn't go away until I fell asleep.  I awoke all tight.  But determined to detox during another forced run.  This time I went to the PG rec with my husband and ran 5.5 miles on the TM.  Ran 1.5 miles at 2% real easy (8:57 pace) then three miles at 2.75 miles at 3% and .3 miles at 4% at varied increasing speeds.  AP for all 5.5 miles = 8:21.  Did the last .1 before the cooldown 1/2  mile at 2% 6:18 pace.  Just to see where the kinks were.  Yup still the left leg.  So went to the chiropracter (better late than NEVER) and low and behold:  HIPS WAY OUT, both wrists, knees and ankles (espec. my left ankle).   Well that is HOW I landed on my Big fall last week, so not too surprised.  I am just too old to be resilient like a teenager.  I don't go back into place like I should.  Ready to do THE VERY BEST I CAN TOMORROW, A TIME AND SEASON FOR ALL THINGS.....not sure about a PR on a flat course (my best is at the Halloween half last year 1:27:40).  So just going to set a flat course PR of 1:30 to 1:32.  I may try to start out a goal MP (fantasy pace- 6:44) and see if I can hold on.  I never have run a race like that so it makes me nervous to do so.  Or hold off and then try to reel myself in?  Oh forget all this, I am going to just have FUN with it   : DDDD.

Just got back from St. George and got the kids to bed and got on a computer for the first time since leaving Friday afternoon.  So FINALLY  : D  I can write my report.  I went from feeling pretty crappy all week and continued all night before the race.  Even awoke with very stiff calves from my hill work the day before and was slightly concerned.   I got up at 6:30am and left the door at 7:10am to try and see the course.  I could only see five miles of it because the rest looped around a golf course a few times so wasn't sure about how it ended but felt confident the course wasn't too difficult.  Nothing like the hills  I have been running around here.  Anyway, picked up Melanie at her place and drove back to the start at 8:20am.  Parked a 1/2 mile from the start and ran a 2.1 mile warm up.  At first we were both very cold and thought "no way" to taking off our leggins' but after a mile warmup we were surprised as the sun came up how quickly we felt we could lose some clothing.  I changed out of my black tights at 8:35am and finished the warmup and luckily ran into Kim and Jane on their warm up.  Mel and I ran 2.1 miles at 8:13 AP.  Bathroom break and chatted til the start.  The start was right on time.  We basically were right down to the wire in time.  I turned on my iPod just before the race to hear the words "BATTERY LOW".  I was totally bummed, banking on adrenaline boost from my music.  Now I know why I accidentally left my iPod home last week when I did that long SW on the TM.  Time to break away from "music mode".  I ran the first two miles with music then paused it until mile 7 or so, at times turning it off to conserve battery power for the end.  I don't think it made a difference.  I felt great the whole time, even chatting with everyone I passed by, if they were sans music of course.  Here are my splits and brief dialogue, if any:

6:59 *only problem with the start was it was on time and I wasn't quite ready AND many runners that run slower stood at the line and I was back 6 seconds.  I literally had to pause at times in order to shuffle around the slower runners "blocking me".  

6:58 feeling good.  Keeping it easy.  Just worried my tight calves and left leg might give me problems if I went too fast.

6:53  lost one of my lucky gloves (it has a picture of a girl runner and says "Runner Girl" on it).  Someone after the race told me they saw it and wondered who had time to place a glove on the ground in a "hang loose" sign.  Aren't I talented?  Took a gu just before this mile just for fun.

6:53. 

6:55

7:00  Good but short uphill portion.  Aid station right at the base of this steep hill. 

6:51.  Seriously I am thinking when will this get hard but still worried about picking it up so I figure I mightaswell stick with what works.

6:55

7:04 Steepest uphill portion and mile 9 is at the top of it and so is an aid station : D.  Took a gu just before this mile.  I took only two gus total and drank water at each aid station.

6:59 

6:54

7:01  That uphill again (same as mile 6) but hey I am almost done.  Now where does this thing turn off to the finish?  I sure hope I don't miss it.  Passing lots of walkers/joggers that I am looping.  Hard to book it down a hill then turn sharply over bridges with others to worry about but not really causing much anxiety.  I feel great and decide to pick it up.

6:49  I sure hope I didn't pick it up too soon?  I couldn't see the finish line...turn, oh there it is...I guess its time to sprint to the finish. 

0.1 miles at 6:22 pace. 

I had my watch on pace mode so didn't realize my time so much but knew I was under 7 AP (6:55 to be exact : D).  Wish I had it in time mode.  I would have tried a little harder to get under 1:30.  I had it in me.  IN FACT I seriously could have run another 10 miles at 7 even pace.  No soreness, no notice that I even "raced" a half marathon yesterday.  I am beginning to think I just may be able to break three hours in the marathon in the near future.  I felt this pace was just under lactate threshold, which helped me feel so good the entire time.  I figure  if I keep training more wisely I can get there.   : DDDDD.  Totally happy with this race.  2nd master overall.  2nd in age category.   A cute 40 year old woman came in three minutes before me.  I guess if she can do it  I CAN.  I didn't know her.  She is from Salt Lake.  There were a lot of new faces at the race and a lot of people from the blog that I got to talk with  : DDDD.

Keeping up with Monday's tradition.  Ran 10 miles at 2 % grade on the TM at the PG rec center.  AP 7:43.  Ran a progressive run.  Last mile under 7.  First mile 8:50.  Didn't want Troy to have to wait long so picked it pretty good.  8:50, 8:20, 8:00, 7:53, 7:47, 7:41, 7:35, 7:30, 7:24, 6:53.  Left sciatic nerve giving MUCH grief-- all the way thru the butt, knee and left foot.  ARGHH!!!  more trips to the chiro!! blah!!

NOTHING.  I worked all day and I am taking a recovery day. 

7am 0.55 miles with Courtney.  She asked me again to run with her.  Not quite ready for a mile. I tried to convince her but didn't want to make it negative so didn't push her.  Pace 10:22.  

Blah blah.  just keep moving.  to pass the winter duldrums away.  to the rec center with troy at 920am.  Ran 4 mile warm up ended at 8 pace started at 8:57. Then ran 16 by 1 minute on/off like this:  4 @ 9.6 mph (6:15) and 6 @ 9.7 mph (6:11), all with ONE minute recovery at 7.5 mph (8:00 pace) and 1 % incline.  Then took a "breather" and ran 1/2 mile at 8:34 to 8:00 pace and ran 4 more one minute ons at 9.7 mph and off at 7.5 mph.  Then ran another 1/2 mile at 8:20 to 8:00 pace contemplating getting this done already and finally ran the last two.  One at 9.7 mph and one at 10 mph average (6:00).  Cooldown.  Total miles 10.  My left knee is bugging me.  The TM is ridiculous.  IT SHAKES UNCONTROLLABLY after 9 mph.  

Didn't think my daughter would be this persistent...she awoke me at 5:30am to run her 1/2 mile.  I had to work at 6am.   Should have just got up at 5am and got in at least three.  It was cold and foggy.  I couldn't find my ear muffs so glad I was only going  1/2 mile.  Actually ran 0.6 miles @ 10:12 pace with my new 12 year old running partner Courtney  : D.  Long day at work.  Then climbed to the top of the rock roll at Lehi's Trafalga.  It looks easy but is actually very hard.  Must remember to cut nails even shorter if I try that again.  Doesn't help that I am afraid of heights.  And Amber, my 8 year old kept talking to me the whole time.  I was concentrating on not slipping so couldn't talk.  My arms and fingers were shaking when I got done.  I think I will stick with the plank.  Been pretty lazy with those lately since my fall.  

Okay, plans drastically changed after a sleepless night....I was supposed to work this morning at 6am so begrudgingly set my clock to wake me at 4:30am in order to get some kind of run in for the day--hoping for 6 miles.  I tried to get cancelled today just because but no such luck, no call last night...but what to my wondering ears should occur?  the phone rings JUST AFTER I am suited up in my RUNNING gear at 4:37am!!!  "I am placing you on call"....great but NOT so great.  I was so tired getting dressed but between then and fully dressed I had convinced myself that I could get out there and no longer could crawl back into bed.  With my luck I would just be called in as I drifted off for two hours more of sleep.....so I just got out there and ran in the FROZEN TUNDRA, I mean gee whiz why are my muslces so tight (besides my ROCKWALL climb last night, big mistake) and why won't a thing loosen up a bit?  Oh yah....I am frozen STIFF.  My cheeks both types were numb and stinging but I just kept trotting along thinking surely it is NOT that cold out.  Well it turns out it was/is 20 degrees and with the fog/inversion it made it feel colder to the bone.  I was hoping to "crash" Mel and Kim's run but I had no idea when or where they were meeting.  I figured Kim's house around 6am so I circled Kim's house five times with no such luck.  Unfortunately Kim lives on a good hill so climbing THAT five times was not that thrilling.  Frost was every where, especially my eyelashes and hair.  I am still thawing out and can't wait to finish this report and get in a warm shower ASAP.  AP only 7:55 for 15.1 miles.  I never stopped having tight achy muscles the whole run.  Bummer.  Splits for fun:  9:04, 8:32, 8:20, 8:10, 7:53, 7:54, 7:57,  7:51, 7:47, 7:37, 7:38, 7:34,  7:21, 7:38, 7:35, 0.1 @ 7:06.  I guess not to bad as the TIN WoMAN. Off to my shower.    AFTERNOON (2pm, 7 hours after finishing my last run)-- no kids and no work.  What to do?  Run again of course.  Pace slow at first and knees feel like they might give out.  Ever since the fall I feel I was put back together wrong.  Anyway got energized in the SUN and MUSIC that I picked it up pretty good.  Splits: 8:54,  8:40,  8:07,  7:51, 7:05.  AP for 5 = 8:07.  Could have done more, but that would have been even MORE insane  : D.

0.8 miles with Courtney at 7am.  New PR 10:01 pace!!    Courtney is going to train for a 5 k this spring.  : D.

 Later at the rec center--- BORING TM ..so after LAZILY gettting thru the first 1 1/2 miles at 2% incline and so NOT feelin' it AT ALL...I switched to a better TM (one that would cut out pulling me sideways) and added some SPICE to my run. It went something like this: 

1 1/2 miles 9 pace  2 %

1 mile 8:30AP  3 %

1 mile 8:13 pace 4%

1 mile 8:00 pace 4%

1 mile 7:53 pace 4%

1/2 mile 7:53 pace 4.5%

1/2 mile7:53 pace 5%

1/2mile 7:53 pace 5.5%

1/2 mile 7:53 to 7:47 pace 6%

1/2 mile 7:53  pace 4%

1 mile 7:30 pace 2 %

1 mile 7:10 pace 2 %.

.08 mile cooldown 8:34 pace.   This was a tough but so doable workout.  Knees still not my own.  Hopefully my own will come back to me soon   : D. Finale:  2 minute front plank, 45 second each side plank when I got home.

I was not as brave as Allie today.  I just couldn't bring myself out in the ARTIC air when I could accompany my dear husband to the rec center.   Although I was not up for speedwork after yesterday's impromtu hillwork on the TM, I got it together and pulled off a few decent miles.  But oh these darn knees!!  They hurt right where I fell on them.  I must have little tendon tears in them.  Blah!!  I figure eventually they will just be healed.  Crossing fingers.  Now back to the TM workout.  Ran 3 mile warmup at 2% incline.  Then at 1 % incline ran 2 miles SW then 1 mile easy then 2 miles SW then cooldown.  First two miles per lap (8 total laps= 2 miles):  6:40, 6:40, 6:40, 6:40, 6:40, 6:40, 6:35, 6:35 to 6:27 pace.  EASY mile at 8:34 to 8:00 pace.  Last two miles per 1/4 mile lap:  6:40, 6:40, 6:40, 6:40, 6:35, 6:35, 6:35, 6:35- 6:00pace.  Cooldown 2 miles @  8:34 to 6:44 pace (mainly 7:47 pace) at the end for 10 miles @ 7:30 pace total.  BTW the TREADMILL shook like a dog at 9mph so basically I get a duel workout of balance and speed.  Seriously not good on form, but what to do? 

NO WAY amd I going to run before work today!!!!  0 degrees!!! NOT.  Not only that but last night a migraine came on with a VENGEANCE.  And I still have it.  It radiates down my neck half way down my right arm (mainly my shoulder) and thru my spine and behind my leg.  Just another "attack" that I get.  My jaw and side of my face is burning and at times numb.  Trigeminal neuralgia again.  Worked all day with it.  But I am used to it but it is VERY painful and affects my memory at times.  Luckily I have been doing this job for 19 years.  

Headache still quite bad.  Pain level 8.  Gradually began my run in the FROZEN TUNDRA (17 degrees on the rotating bank sign).   This was at 10am!!!!!   HELLOOOOOO!!!!!!  Nonetheless parts of my limbs were feelable around mile three.  My thighs were  quite stiff and my right arm is VERY tender.  These darn NERVE pains!!!  And no meds quite take them away without making me stupid (neurontin).  Anyway, plan was take it real easy and see if 10 miles was doable.  I quite enjoyed my easy pace and route today SANS music.  So nice to hear the activity around me, mostly barking dogs and chattering birds that forgot to fly south for the winter.  The sun made my run the most enjoyable even though I wore a non-absorbent color.  It was just nice to have the sun there to make it "feel" like a nice day   : D.  10 miles @ 8:28 pace.  So lovely.  Later after arriving home and finding NO husband I was like "no way" he could not still be running.  He left for the rec center before me and getting back after me?  Turn out he ran 13.1 miles on the TM (1:51:25 total time = 8:30 pace!!!).  That's his FIRST half marathon and first 13 miler EVER!!  He now has MORE miles than I do this week!!  I told him I was selling his BYU vs. UTAH tickets to place him in the lottery for the St.George Marathon!!  The game is the NIGHT before the marathon.  We always have season tickets and he has NEVER missed a HOME game.   He SO can do it and probably do well under 4 hours!!!

Easy pace miles.  8.12 miles @ 8:09 AP.   Felt better than yesterday.  Left at 8:45am.  Still cold but SUN out to make my day.    My littlest was vomiting all last night.  Instead of vomiting I have this darn migraine that is less intense now but still quite there.  The run I think has helped some to detox myself.  Limbs felt flu-like achy along with my lower back.  Troy and my girls have been massaging all my MANY trigger points in my shoulder, neck and upper back on the right.  So very intensely painful.  I am hoping this headache ends at 72 hours (tonight) as I read more up on migraines.  Even though I have been suffering from them since I was a little girl I still find myself trying to figure out what exactly triggers mine.  Definitely the SHAKING TM on Tuesday had something to do with it.  After that run I felt UNusually GREAT (called AURA to a migraine) and then all of the sudden WHAMO, I was slightly nauseated and then the BIG bad headache and shoulder and arm pain on the right side.  Anyways I think I am on the mend, although I am slightly nauseated again.  Sad news however--  Kim's (my wonderful running partner and friend) dad passed away after sameday surgery on his shoulder yesterday.  He was 67 years old and full of spunk and life, just like Kim.  We are so sad for her.  Wonderful dads just can't be replaced!!!

A CHANGE OF PLANS WARRANTED:  after three miles of trying to convince Melanie that IT WAS OKAY NOT TO run the planned 10 miles at MP with a total of 18 miles she consented to running her planned 21 miler for next week TODAY.  So... staying more on major roads, well some not quite so, we tried to  NO AVAIL to avoid the SNOW CAPPED and ICY roads.  Yup we were real troopers running a 10.85 mile loop twice going thru to American Fork turning right after Good Earth than heading up 300 North and up thru ART DYE  Park (so beautiful) and by AF high school (THE ICIEST spot of all) where we learned that NOT running MP in these conditions was THE CORRECT decision for sure.  As we closed in on MP here during the second lap we got pretty nervous.  Actually the whole run was a WATCH your FOOTING  kind of run.  No time for ZONING out.  IT WAS SUPER SLICK everywhere.  We are proud of ourselves and felt strong at the end (although Melanie is fighting off another cold : (  and  I am fighting off these RIDICUOLOUS NERVE pains DOWN my spine.  My whole spine is on fire and NEEDS some serious STRETCHING and massage.  Our AP today for 22 miles was 7:46!!! I feel that is quite wonderful in these conditions.  The temp was perfect, 31 degrees the whole run (thanks to the Good Earth sign we got to read twice in our run).  

J.K.  Really I just turned 42 today and what more dramatic way to start the day then 42 EASY PACE miles thru the snowcapped roads of Pleasant Grove?  Seriously, NOT.  In fact my right shoulder, neck and arm pain is NOT letting up and gets worse a few hours after I run.  At least I don't notice it while running. Thank you ENDORPHINS.  I need to go and get adjusted.  Lucky chiro that I fell on the TM and run on a shaky one.  I think I am going to go for 4 miles then 2 later on instead of 42.  How is that for sanity?  The older the WISER : D.  IN REALITY:  I ended up running 10.1 miles at 8:24 AP at 11am (had to wait for Troy to get back from the Rec center. Amber home sick with fever and cold).  I sure felt like an OLD lady, creaking knees and spine.  Oh Joy.  Neck and arm okay during run.  Tried hard to relax my shoulders while I ran.  Enjoyed this run, snow and slush and SUN coming out behind the fluffy clouds!!   Ran up and around Cedar Hills and trotted along ever so relaxed.  The first mile I was like "Oh my I must surely be doing a 10:15 mile".  So glad to see that it was really a 9:22.  My usual warm up mile pace.  Alleluyah.  At mile 4 a little whipper snapper DOG would NOT leave me alone.  I wasn't sure if he would bite my ankle or not and I kept yelling at him.  I was stopped for at least 3 minutes trying to get him off my "tail".  VERY ANNOYING.  After that things got adventurous up the Farm Rd where trucks are filled with dirt doing construction and leaving a muddy pathway for me to run through.  It felt so Spring-like : D.  I loved it .  Climbed that long hill and felt invigorated because I didn't push myself.  These runs are my strength.  Now I feel renewed. 

Sent all my patients home so I got to go home.  Arrived home at 1pm but feeling achy all over.  Took two ibuprofen on my drive home.   After eating birthday cake and two lemon bars given by my VTs, I surely felt like running.  So I got out the door at 4:45pm in the sunny windchill and got in 4.2 miles at a leisurely pace (8:37AP) before dinner then a date with my daughter (for Young Women) to see Phantom of the Opera  put on my Pleasant Grove High School.  VERY IMPRESSIVE!!  Spectacular even.  For high school, it was truly UNBELIEVABLE from the costumes to the setup to the female leading role (let's not forget also  the male voices especially the Phantom and Rauol).  Seriously so far off from the high school plays my school put on.  I heard that $60,000 went into this production.  Tickets are sold out.  The staging was incredible!!  

WAY AWESOME FEELIN' GREAT LACTATE THRESHOLD workout!!!!  Plan was 800m (1/2 mile) at goal MP (6:53) alternated with 1/2 mile at 5k pace ( 6:31) repeated x 3 miles with 5 minute rest and repeat x 1. BUT IT WAS GOING SO WELL  that  I ran THROUGH  the rest  and ran all six miles with NO rest.  Honestly  I could have repeated this another 6 times for a 12 mile total but really I DON'T need to be that ahead of myself.  I don't want to peak too early.  So this is what I ran:  4 mile warmup at 2 % grade, first mile 9:24AP : D.  Love starting out slow.  Second mile 8:57.  Third mile 8:34 AP: and last mile 8:13 AP.  Basically very easy and so like "am I going to run speed work today or what?"  So then I turned the incline down to 1 % and decided to wake up out of my TM coma.  I ran 1 @ 1/2 mile at 6:53 (so easy : D) and 1 mile at 6:31 (felt really doable and knew when I went back to 6:53 I would feel even better and I did :D).  Repeated this 6 times for 6 miles at AP of 6:37 because I ran the last two laps at 6:00 to 6:22 pace :  D. for a STrOnG  finish..   Even with a 1/2 mile at 8:06 AP before starting my speedwork (zeroed the TM clock) I ran a 10 k PR (42:08) when I got to 6.2 miles on the TM.  And I really felt like I had a LOT left in me.  I purposely did NOT allow myself to go faster.  THE POINT of this of workout is to make THE MILES FEEL DOABLE, NOT ALL OUT  or  out of breath.    I am looking forward to later in my training to repeating this times 12 for 12 miles at 6:42.  I felt on cloud nine after this work out.  Cooldown mile at 7:53 AP, 2 % incline.  

SUNCREST.  6 miles UP  6 miles DOWN  in THE FRIGID WINDCHILL.   Melanie's car read 16 degrees (not counting windchill) and I am sure it was colder 6 miles up.  I didn't feel my toes until mile 3.5- 4 and my butt thawed out on the drive home with Kim.  We sure steamed up my car.  I had to pull over and wait longer for the steam to thaw off my windshield.  Quite enjoyed the downhill.  I was way too frozen on the uphill that my legs couldn't quite turnover.  I felt like the TIN MAN.  Misery loves company.  We all felt about the same way.  Even talking was a workout trying to move our frozen chins to form sentences.  The way back down felt very easy and very controlled.  I was not tired here at all.  So glad since yesterday was SW.  I am sure sometime tomorrow at work I will be needing a nap.  But I will just have to plug along and do my best of course.  AP up-- 7:57  (NOT A SINGLE STOP  :  D til the TOP).  AP down-- 6:49.  Splits: 8:48,  9:20,  9:45,  9:06, 8:30, 8:18, ROCKY MOMEMT,  7:23, 7:00, 6:50, 6:28, 6:32,  6:42 (slowed for CRAZY TRAFFIC scene at the light).  Total AP= 7:53.

Nothing but working with RSV babies and children needing suctioning all day.  For the first half of the shift I felt for sure I was going to catch "the bug" since I got a brief sore throat and ear ache.  Then gone all of a sudden.  : D.  So perhaps I will run at 4am before work tomorrow...depends on how early I get to bed.

A 430am run before work, tired but got out anyway.  AP for 7.35 miles = 7:55.  Ran a 2.42 loop three times.  Rolling hills.  Clocked in 4 minutes late.  But clocked out 43 minutes late.  Ate lunch and breakfast at 3pm.  Ridiculously busy.  Short staffed and many a SICK child.   But I so do enjoy working on pediatrics.  No sign of illness.  : D.  I have been eating a daily dose of sugar cookies shaped like hearts and frosted.  Yum.   Yesterday lunch and breakfast consisted of 5 onion rings and a frosted cupcake from a special pastry shop given to the staff from a patient.  Basically that's all I had time to eat.  I rarely eat this badly but when you are on the go sugar is good.  Chocolate a necessity.   

PM:  plank 1:30,  L 45sec R 45 sec.  Since my fall my shoulders, elbows and hands have taken quite the brunt of it.  Shooting nerve pains etc... but gradually getting better.  Chiro put my wrist, elbow and shoulders back in last Monday.

AT 5:46am-- 10.15 miles at about 8 pace.  Garmin died the first .3 miles.  I was able to know the time I left and time I got back and knew the loop mileage give or take some footage.  Felt like I ate CRAP all weekend which I did.  I was very stiff, nauseated and bloated.   Now to feed myself nutritious food.    2 hours LATER....at the gym....8 miles on the TM at  8:00 AP at 2 %.  Oh my starting this run was MISERABLE!!!  ACHY in the FEET in the legs and in the knees.  And major BLOATING.  Gads!!  DETOX soooo necessary.  Was only going to run 5 miles but after 4 miles it was tolerable EVEN WITHOUT MUSIC!!    I forgot my music and had to listen to the sounds of squeaky bikes and watch news shows about Romantic Getaways etc....  Luckily sports was on Troy's side of the gym.  I vow to eat better all week   : D.  Happy HEART day everyone.   Go HUG someone   :  D.    

Plank:  2 min    L  45 sec  R  45 sec.  10 baby pushups  : D.

Somedays WAKING is NOT THE ANSWER.  Seriously I awoke at 420am, got a drink and pondered the workout before me in an hour with Kim, Mel, and Jane.  Kim was picking me up at 5:15am.   MUCH to my SURPRISE I awoke suddenly at 5:46am and FREAKED out that my ALARM did not go off.  I noticed it was not even turned on but I had set the time.  I ran downstairs and found I had two messages from Kim.  LOSER.  Apparently my body so needed more sleep.  I was so ALIVE at 4:20am but NOW I was WASTED tired and couldn't fall back to sleep.  It was too late to run with the group.  They were running 10 at MP.  So perhaps, as Kim mentioned, I subconciously did not want to run with them.  Melanie had put out drinks and made up our nice flat course by her house.  And here I was lying in bed.  FOUR hours later I drove myself to the JRP (Jordan River Parkway) on 1500 north and began my own workout.  Thinking the weatherman was right I wore shorts.  NOT good.  My legs were quite red and numb the whole run.    I kept having to punch them to make the blood flow.  It was colder at 9:30am then I was thinking it would be.  The sun really didn't come out much behind the layer of clouds.  Brrr....and LONELY.  I decided to just run and see if I could do some speed.  After a 4 mile warmup I thought I would try the 5k, 10k, MP at 1 mi., 2mi, 3 mi, in that order.  I didn't think of that until I started my 4 mile tempo at MP and realized I was WAY FASTER than I needed to be so I just decided to do the first mile at 5K pace.   But after the first mile  I was needing a nap, even though the first half of it felt great.  So I just tried the best I could and ran these paces, not finishing the last MP mile until two miles in between at recovery pace:  8:41, 8:24, 7:53, 7:42 WU.  Then, 6:27, 6:48, 6:45, 6:46, rest PLEASE (no fuel or water the whole run) so then 7:21, 7:12, 6:53, 7:21.  AP for 12 miles = 7:21.  For the "fast" eight miles AP = 6:57.  I so need a HOT shower.   My left IT band is acting up QUITE tenderly.  I think my hip is out. Chiro closed today so Thursday adjustment necessary.  I work tomorrow.  I need a nap.

Easy sore muscle removal run at 5am before work in the Balmy BREEZE. 5 miles @ 8:36 pace.  Looped x 2.  No music. Wind was my music.

NRP Class today at 10am so went to rec center early without Troy because I was told that it was going to be WINDY and cold.  Much to my surprise as I drove there ABSOLUTELY no WIND and not even near as cold as I have been running in.  So wish I just had gone outside, but I was already in shorts so I hit the TM.  Kind of busy this hour so waited five minutes for a TM.  Got on and decided to run 9 miles and then that seemed too long without adding some excitement so I ran some hills but slower than usual to save up energy for Saturday with Kim and Jane.  First mile 8:57 (2 %)  then starting at 8:41 pace and ending at 8:27 pace increased the incline every  quarter mile  to 4 % ( 2 mile mark).  Potty break.  Then back on at 8:20 pace 3 %.  Increased incline to in this fashion every 1/4 mile:  3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6,  6, 5.5, 5, 4.5, 4, 3.5, 3, 3,  (8:13 pace here) 3, 3,  (8:06 pace now ), 2.5, 2.5, 2.0.   "Cooldown" at 8:00 x 1 mile, 7:53 x 1  (2%). 7 miles AP = 8:08 for hills.

Garmin dead, again.  I think I have been leaving it on.  So...left to run 5 with NO watch.  Liberating.  Had a plan but completely RAN off of the plan and ran where I felt like.  I ran up and above Cedar Hills and back in a LARGE figure eight.  Knew the time I left to the second (so much for liberation) and looked at the time coming back.  Course tooled my route just barely.....ooops 9.45 miles.  Pace averaged out 8:32.  I really think my first mile was close to 10 minutes.  I was so irritable starting.  My mood changed as I could take off layers and the weather was great.  Temp by elem. school read 35 degrees.  Left at 9:14 am.  So wonderful.  No sun however.  Just overcast.

Since this run was going to put me BEYOND 70 miles for the week I was a little worried about running with Kim and Jane in the possible snow/rain/wind storm but we were lucky enough to have gotten the "calm" before the storm, for the most part.  We did get some brief sprinkles and some good gusts of wind up in Alpine (15-20mph from the southeast).  But as we approached Pleasant Grove and American Fork the air turned warmer and subconsciously I took off my last long sleeve shirt with no gloves.  Then our last long uphill mile I realized my arms were numb from the elbows up.  Apparently I was having hot flashes while running.  I will have to say I didn't feel particularly good during any part of this run.  When I awoke this morning (4.5 hrs of sleep) I could barely get out of bed.  My lower back was painful and locked up.  I think muscular.  I was having very stressful dreams about not hearing my alarm and sleeping thru picking up Kim (I did that once already this week).  NONETHELESS I just pushed thru the pain in my lower half of my body, from my symphisis pubis to my lower back and upper hamstrings and some shin achiness.  I probably shouldn't have done the hillwork on Thursday on the TM so close to my long run with Speedstars.  I am glad I held in strong.  I went slower then Jane and Kim the first 3.3 miles then I stayed with them so my AP was 1.5 seconds per mile slower for the whole run.  I still ran a 7:39 AP for 21 miles !! : D.  For feeling so achy I feel that was a good effort on a VERY hilly route.  I have no idea why I ran over 74 miles this week.  That is not my plan for next week.  I am really hungry right now.  I ate two gus during the run. Nothing before the run.  We had three water stops (miles 3.3, 9.2, and 18.8) and three extra potty stops.  We were not in sync with one another.  We didn't stop from miles 9.2 to 18.8 so that's good.  Overall on a good feelin' day I think I could run this at at least a 7:30 AP.  When its warmer probably 7:20.  Splits for fun:  8:06 (this felt like a 7:30 effort, so NOT good), 7:51,  7:53, 7:31, 7:41, 7:28, 7:28, 7:43 (major climb), 7:31, 7:44 (major headwind), 7:59 (long uphill), 7:56 (still uphill, short down), 7:38 (steep downhill, taking it easy apparently), 7:30, 7:36, 7:33,  (last three miles from 4800 North light , so slight downhill grade : D) 7:36 (brief steep downhill),   8:02 (long uphill by AF golf course, feeling tired), 7:26 (gentle incline) , 7:26, 7:05.  Done : D.  

11 miles real easy.  Weather-- 29 degrees but humid so slightly cooler but felt very nice.  Lots of areas to watch for "black ice" or "white ice" on concrete due to the humidity freezing the top layer out there.  I left at 7:23am.  11 miles at 8:13 AP.  So lovely.  Felt so nice to take it down today and relax, enjoy myself.  I feel MUCH better today than Saturday.  The problem with Saturday's run was 4.5 hours of sleep and just getting better from a slight catch of the strep throat.  Achiness gone now and so are the the spots on my throat.  Probiotics, vitamins and iron a big cure.  My throat barely hurt on Thursday but I looked at it and white patches were on my tonsils.  I was achy all over but no headache.   My daughter Brooke  (10) ended up with the FULL blown flu Saturday night.  High fever, body aches, slight sore throat and runny nose.  We were supposed to go skiing today but she feels awful.  Such a beauty of a ski day too.  Oh well.  Amber (8)  prevented our last planned trip to the slopes.  We are running out of weekends  I can go.

PM:  I think there is something wrong with me.  I was looking outside watching the night begin to fall (it was 6:10pm) and I just couldn't watch this beautiful day go by without more miles in it because what if tomorrow it storms and is freezing once again...?  So I quickly got on my running gear (except I wore my regular dress socks, they felt soooo comfortable to run in, they are ankle type, so corny) before my husband got back from Subway with Courtney and didn't even tell my other kids...So rejuvenating.  My muscles all felt sooooo good.  Like I hadn't even run today.  I did have MAJOR stomach cramps and had to stop three times to potty but STILL this was sooooo worth it.    I felt I could have gone on for at least 10 more miles.  I truly am going INSANE.  Anyway got in another 10 miles at 8:10 AP.  When it was dark it was quite hard to see my path on the roads.  Sooo glad the ice had melted.  I am so glad I didn't fall in a pot hole.  So loved this feelin' in my run.  I live for these runs minus potty stops  : D.   I guess I don't have to run before work tomorrow now.  I can sleep in til 5:30 am unless I am called to a different hospital and have to get up earlier.

Nada. I sort of ran a while yesterday.  Worked all day (13 hours) on pediatrics.  Adorable, but sick babies.  Got to discharge three so that was nice.

Yucky, NOT FAITH promoting SW day.  Started just too late for my clock today.  9:25am at the rec center.  4 mile SLOW warmup at 2 % incline.  Just have to talk myself into some speed.  Fell short of my plan.  Stupid blister forming and my form crumbled and so did my mental toughness and then I was like, hey Utah Valley Marathon is like 3 1/2 months away.  PLAN:  2 miles at MP,  1 mile at 10K , 2  miles at MP, 1 mile at 10K,  **2 miles at MP, 800 meters, first 1/4 5k second 1/4 ALL OUT.  ** == I stopped here.  I was twisted in places landing funky on the SHAKY TM causing many a muscle problem, especially in my left foot and forefoot.  So there.  Dang it.  It just wasn't in me today.  The first four miles felt easy but then somewhere I lost focus to my foot and the blister.  Splits at 1%: 6:49, 6:49, 6:35, 6:49, 6:49, then ONLY .7 miles at 6:35 to 6:18 pace. After two miles of totally taking it down I finished that last mile to somehow redeem myself  0.3miles at 6:35 pace.  More cool down to 12 miles on the mill.  I told Troy to leave so  I would be forced to run three miles home.  Wore my shorts outside for some cryotherapy.  I sure was running slow.  NO WATCH and no clock to time me so I really don't know how long it took but I sure was "tripping" all over my feet trying to work out the blister formed kinks in my legs.  With a 1/2 mile part of my warm up at 8:00 to 8:13 pace I got to the 10K mark at 42:18 having zeroed the TM after the other 3.5 mile warmup.  Another problem is at work I go long periods without eating.  Yesterday was one of them.  When I did eat I chose something that tasted spoiled so I couldn't eat it and didn't have time to get something different.  I was SOOOOO hungry by the time I got home.  Especially after 21 miles Monday ending at 730pm.

Drove via Pioneer HWY (first time on the new road) to Saratoga Springs Vista Heights Jr. High and ran slowly the Shamrock Half Marathon Course.   It is a very HILLY course but not anything I am not used to.  Enjoyed the new sights.   Quite the quaint little town over there.  I liked it.  It got a little breezy but the weather was warm, about 36 to 40 degrees.  My quads were really tight and my left foot was problematic due to the blister.  Went to the chiro after my run.  Should have gone beforehand.  My muscles were real tight so it was hard to move my joints.  He was able to get my hip back in place.  So that's good.  AP today for 13.1 = 8:13.  Had some add on distance for scoping wrongly the course, but luckily that was only once. Taking it real easy over the weekend since  I work three 12 hour shifts in a row that always ends up being 13 hour shifts.  I will probably be working on pediatrics.  Glad I like pediatrics.  Kids are fun to work with.  I try to make them happy.  

mom/baby shift.  no workout.  giving legs a break.  left leg a bugger from the hip to the foot.  determined shoes overly worn even though I have only had them since Christmas.  

pediatric shift.  no workout.  left leg a pain.  

mom/baby shift.  Then Young Women's in the evening with my daughter. "Scraped my leg with an ice cream scoop.  It seemed to work this morning.  Bruising noted a few minutes later with petechiae.

Long weekend with no running but darn this left leg/knee/hip.  Tried stretches.  This seems to happen to me-- waxing and waning digging a thorn in my side.  I think it Priformis syndrome but related to Pelvic Congestion syndrome.  I have large varicosities in my pelvis and have been told to get them obliterated.  So cyclic-ly I get this pain radiating from my lower back to my foot.  It last 5 to 7 days and then goes away.  It has been 5 days now.  We shall see.  Anyway had a good run today on the TM next to Troy.  It felt nice and easy.  In fact I was yawning on the TM.  I began to get into the Medical show on TV.  Ran 2 mile WU (8:57, 8:37 at 2 %), then went right to a medium tempo run pace.  Ran  (1%) 3.5 miles at 7:30 pace, 2.5 miles at 7:24 pace and one mile at 7:09 pace. 1/2 mile cooldown at 8:27 pace (2 %).  Felt good except the knee, left side of it to just under knee cap.  It is currently fluttering. It feels like nerve pain because it spasms and tingles at the same time.  Going to ice it.  Then go get my massage sometime today or tomorrow.   My mother in law bought me one from Spinalrehab for my birthday.  ONE hour.  Yay!!  : D.    Plank: 3 min, side L then R: 1 min each.  Time to get this APPLE core in shape.  

Got up at 3am and thought "I wonder why Kim or Melanie didn't call me about what they were running?"  Then I saw on my verizon cell (it was in silent mode from my three day weekend) that Kim had called at 9:30pm.  I learned they were meeting at 5:20 to do some speed by the track.  Well, I so wanted to just be with them thru the warmup at least and get my 14 miler over with so I just laid in bed with no further sleep waiting  for  the clock to read 4:52  am.  I got out the door at 5:05 am and ran 1.9 miles before getting to Kim's nice and easy (8:54).  The others were running late (Jane and Mel) so Kim took me in her car to drop off  drinks.  Well that was not good for me.  I should have just kept running.  It was freezing, to me when I started running.  The ground was covered with frozen dew.  My fingers and toes were numb.  But to get in Kim's car and "thaw out" then get out in my sweaty clothes again after 15 minutes was a bit much on my already problem leg.  It sure hurt from the get go.  I know, times like these one should not run but I just couldn't NOT run.  I have come to realize this about me.  The pain was quite intense throughout the run but I tried not to whine at all.  I don't think I did.  We ran 2 x 2.2 miles (supposed to be 2.5 miles but the loop was shorter than we thought) with a .4 mile run in between.  Basically my first 2.2 loop was a 6:40 avg (6:42, 6:38, 6:35 for .2)) and my second loop was a 6:37 avg (6:40, 6:37, 6:27 for .2).  It felt doable, I could have done another loop, but we ran out of time and my left leg from my foot to my hip was extremely tight.  The streets were also poorly lit up.  The first loop was QUITE DARK and I had to try to avoid potholes and "phantom" potholes as my night vision is pathetic.  The second loop it was more light out but I had two near run overs with drivers not seeing me as they are turning right and I am trying to cross their path but have to dodge behind their car or be trampled.  I don't know how the speedstars feel so at ease in the dark and at a much swifter pace.  THEY ARE AMAZING!!!  I am so happy for them.  They are running so well.  Its hard being 5 weeks behind them in training but even then I would not be at all near them in their speedwork.  Just going for my 3:07 at Utah Valley Marathon.  Fingers crossed, stars please ALIGN!!!  : DDDD   Coold down back to Kim's then I added on 2.7 miles  back to my house at 7:24 AP to get to 14.  Total miles =  14 @ 7:29.   Plank 2 minutes, sides x 1 minute.  Bicycle abs x 50 each leg.  Crunches 25 center, left, right.  Push ups -- girl type 10 x 2.    

5 easy before work at 4:50am.  AP 8:30.  Worked a long crazy busy shift.  Began to feel sick.  Got sicker watching the saddest BYU basketball game ever at the Marriott center.  Currently have body aches and a very stuffy nose.  Hope it doesn't worsen.  At one point near the end of my shift it felt like my whole right side of my head was under water.  That was weird.  There are a lot of illnesses out there right now and I have taken care of many patients with fevers, flu, and pneumonia.  I don't know how I lasted even this long.  So not sure if I will run my planned 11 miler or not.  It depends on if this illness at the getting worse stage or if  I can fend it off well.  

Read the "bolded"  bottom for a good laugh.  TM hillwork with sinus congestion on the right side.   Lovely.  Ate two honey robitussin cough drops to try and open up the nasal passages during the run. 

3 mile WU at 2 %:  8:57, 8:41, 8:27-8:13.  Then did hill work in a ladder fashion, starting at 3 percent increasing 0.5 percent every 1/2 mile to  6 percent, staying there x 2 then coming back down. Basically this:

3 %  8:06 x 1/2 mile

3.5 % 8:00 x 1/2 mile   Brief reset the TM  and potty break so the TM doesn't stop in the middle of my workout at 60 minutes.  Total time to mile four =  33:45.  Felt so very nice. Now time to get serious.  

4 % 8:00 x 1/2 mile etc....

4.5 % 7:53

5 % 7:53

5.5 % 7:53

6 % 7:53

6% 7:53

5.5% 7:53

5% 7:53

4.5 % 7:47

4 % 7:47

3.5 % 7:47

3 % 7:47

2.5 % 7:53 x 1/4 mile, 7:47 x 1/4

2 % 7:41 x 1/4, 7:35 to 7:19  x 1/4. Total time for miles 5- 11 (7 miles)  = 54:35.  AP 7:48. This felt tiring towards the end but I felt strong and never felt like I needed to quit.  I was a puddle of sweat afterwards.  My sinus didn't drain much.  I am pretty much stuffed on the right side of the head.  At least I don't feel like I am under water anymore.  Something funny,  Troy told me the other day after he got off the TM an old guy who was taking a water break and had been running around the track said to him " did you see that girl next to you on the treadmill? She's been going like that for over an hour (referring to Monday's workout).  She's insane." Troy then said, "oh yah that's my wife.  And yes she is insane. "      Later in the day:  Plank 1 minute, side plank 30 sec each.  Repeat x 1.   More core before bed.

PALS (pediatric advanced life support) from 8:30 to 3:30 am.  Then kids from school. Then kids went to Stake Center to play soccer.  So....I decided to run my planned 5 Easy on trails with my NEW trail shoes.  Not sure I like the stiffness, not sure I will be secure in them by the time Antelope 32 miler rolls around.  But hey I used to road run in ascics cumulus and even PRed in the marathon with them (3:11) so I guess bigger MIGHT be better.  AP today 8:26.  I felt comatose the first few miles and was wondering if I should have just added these 5 miles on to tomorrow's run. There were many a wheel track to traverse and lots of  mud.  I tried my best to avoid those areas. Seriously wondering how I am going to pull off another long trail run with only, so far, one trail run.  Survived Squaw Peak with only one trail run of 5 miles and Antelope is A LOT easier than that.  Blah..... At least I can now use these trail shoes for hiking in Bryce Canyon after the half in July instead of my darn flip flops.  Those caused some major aches and pains in recovery.  Progressive splits: 9:21, 8:37, 8:33, 8:01, 7:41.  Rolling flat on the canal route, out and back.  Parked at the canal.  Don't dare run on the road with these shoes. 

Ran a training run with Jen.  Her first 16 miler.  She is training for the Ogden Marathon.  Her goal is just to finish.  She ran well today.  After not stopping the first three miles we stopped at each mile and walked about .7-.1 miles before running again.  Her AP with all the stops ended up being 10:19 (we did stop our watches for our 5 minute water break and 5 minutes potty break, so that is not included in our AP).  We left at 6:01am and got back at 8:54am.  So total time gone  2 hrs 53 minutes.  We ran up to Alpine from PG and back.  I have to say running slower than usual seemed almost harder on my joints than faster.  My cadence was off.  But I sure enjoyed the company!!  The miles did seem to pass quickly and the weather was quite agreeable.  I ran 1.15 miles to her house (she is only .5 miles from my house but I wanted 18 today so I ran longer), then I ran the same route back with a little cutoff to make it 18.15 miles.  My AP for 17 miles was 10:01.  The last mile helped the AP quite a bit.   Later I went skiing for $20 each at Sundance thanks to BYUs basketball game over a week ago.  We went from 1230 to 8:30 pm.  Night skiing was so awesome.  The lights in the dark on the snow was quite the sight.  I was so very tired at 6:30 that I had go inside and rest for an hour.  I was so wiped out.  I have been getting up at 3 am every night not being able to fall asleep so I think I need a good night of uninteruppted sleep.  My cold lasted 2 1/2 days.  I nipped it in the butt very quickly.  So glad.  

Oh my. I am so out of shape compared to Mel and Kim.  I just don't know how they do it.  I ran a ladder SW (max vo2 for sure).  Warmed up x two miles, 8:49, 8:34 at 2 %.  Then at one percent I ran 1 minute on/off  @ 6:18/8:27;  2 minutes on/off; 3 minutes on/off; 4 minutes on/off, 5 minutes on/off, 6 minutes on off (last few minutes of the 5 and 6 ons I put the incline to 0 percent.  My left foot was ailing and I didn't want any more torquing, put it back to 1 percent during the off times).  Then when I got here I was so not ready to do another 6 minute to ladder down.  I was in too much pain to stay at that pace, so I just did 3 minutes on/off, then 2 minutes on/off, then 1 minute on/off  x 6 for a total of 32 minutes at 6:18 pace.  I was NOT liking this workout.  I think eating just beforehand was part of the problem.  All the blood was in my gut and not my lungs and brain.  Plus I emphasize again the ridicuoulousness of the TMs at PG rec after 8.6 mph.  And I was at 9.5 mph.  blah.  I feel so out of shape compared to my friends.  So instead of comparing I will just be happy for them and hope I can just get stronger with lactate threshold runs and MP runs, cause'   VO2 workouts suck!!!  Crossing fingers I don't get a migraine from this workout.  I tend to from the shaking, like I am on some amuzement ride and the room is spinning. Completed my run with 3 miles in 22:15 (7:25 AP).  AP for 14 miles = 7:27.

Just couldn't bring myself to run on the frozen earth before work.  Glad I didn't-- I even slid on the ice with my SUV on my one mile trek to work.    Hope this weather passes soon.

 5:30 am at the rec center.  3 mile warmup-  8:57, 8:41, 8:27 at 2 %.  Then kept it at 2 % for 8 progressive miles:  7:41, 7:35, 7:30, 7:24, 7:19, 7:13, 7:08, 6:58.  AP for 8 miles = 7:20.  Ran 1 mile cooldown at 8:06 pace.  That's not the end.  Late morning (9:20am with Troy):  4 miles easy wearing my trail shoes (AP 8:32, 1 % incline).  At the end I put the incline at 15 % like D.Crockett just walking at 4 mph and then for just a moment I pushed the speed up to 6mph and I was like, what in the?  Seriously, how in the world did he run 3 x 7:30 X 15 % the other day?  I was about tipped off at that percent.  Back to my shoes.  I am still  not sure about wearing them at Antelope but I wore worse during Squaw Peak.  Much worse.  I wore "zeroes" that I already hated for the first third of that race and then my ascics, old ones and then my new ones.  So one pair of trail shoes can't make me bonk too badly.    Still one trail run under my belt prior to the race.  I don't want to run on the road with these shoes and I don't have time this weekend to drive to the trails before work.  Tomorrow Melanie and I are running Suncrest at 4:30am, if I don't accidentally sleep through my alarm.   So glad it should be nice weather according to the reports.   

Suncrest with Melanie EARLY, very early.  In fact now I need a nap and its only just before 8am.  We ran it nice and easy.  My hamstrings are acting up like they did last year when my performance started to crash.  I think for sure it  is  the trail shoes.  They don't give much in the midfoot and I am getting shooting pains down my lower back into my hamstrings.  Bringing back sad memories so I think I will talk to the running store.  I have only run 9 miles on them.  AP today 8:28 (56:55 to the top, overall time 1:41:43).  Windy on the top but nice the bottom 4 miles.  At least it wasn't a bone chillin' wind, just enough to make us put our second layer back on at the top.  

5 easy as planned around my neighborhood in the windy cool (not cold : D) air before work.  Felt really nice. AP 8:25.  Hope I am motivated to get out of bed early before work tomorrow and run the planned 8 miles with 100 m pickups x 10.  Blah.  So little time....so much to do.  But I like my sleep.  Bonus, I wore my new trail shoes (I traded in the last pair I bought last week) and bought  Brooks Cascadia 4s.  They are SWEET.  They were on sale since the new ones are out.  So much better than the ones I was trying to wear.   I couldn't even run on the pavement with those.  They caused the horrible back and hamstring pains.  Now cured.  The RIGHT SHOES MAKE a whole lot of difference.  I now feel like I can show up at the starting line of Antelope Island somewhat prepared.

8  easy miles including 10 x  .07 mile strides before work at 4:40am.  AP for 8 = 7:42.   Time for each- 26.08 secs (6:14),  25.27 (6:03),  24.78 (5:56), 25.45 (6:05), 26.94 (6:27), 25.93 (6:12), 24.91 (5:57), 24.76 (5:55), 25.13 (6:01), 25.0 (5:59).   Interesting that the time difference between them all is never more than a second, except for the fifth one up hill, yet the garmin read such a varying pace.  Not sure "how" strides should be run, they felt very easy!!  Ran .1 miles in between  7:23 - 8:02 pace.   LONG day at work, busy busy busy.  Sick kids lots of new babies.   Oh I almost forgot, I ran this in my new TRAIL shoes  : D  on the road.

3.5 mile warmup at the rec center at 5:30am (really 4:30 am 1 1/2 days ago!!).  8:41, 8:27, 8:20 and 8:06 at 2 %.  Then planned 4 x 15K to 1/2 marathon pace (6:40, hopefully someday : D).  So ran 6:40, 6:40, 6:40, 6:30-6:35 for the last one (started picking it up the last two laps to 6:18 at the end).  Cooldown x 1.5 miles.  Cleared the TM time after 3 miles of warmup then started this workout with the 1/2 mile warmup.  Stopped the TM when it got to 6.2 miles.  Total time = 43:23 so AP 6:59 for 6.2 miles (4 miles plus the 1.5 miles easy pace miles).  I picked it up to below 7 pace for the last .2 to 6:18 pace just for a fast finish : D.  I ran this STRAIGHT through without stopping and NO water.  Forgot my little water bottle.  Going skiing at Brighton today so had to get up early AGAIN.  Past five day history--  Thurs morn up at 410am to run with Mel up Suncrest, Friday up at 4:50am to run before work, Saturday-- up at 4:30 am to run before work, Sunday (daylight savings loss of an HOUR) up at 5:40 to get to work by 6am but really it is 4:40, Monday up this morning at 5:15am (4:15 that I am used to it being).....EQUALS INTENSE fatigue exhaustion RIDICUOULOUSNESS but nothing I can't handle.  THINGS have been worse, working nights.  Three shifts in a row with CRAZY workload is TOUGH. WE HAVE HAD A BABY BOOM in the VALLEY.  MANY BOYS, few girls born.   SERIOUSLY.

REally, 14 miles today?  NOOOOOO!!!  I still haven't recovered from the lack of sleep and three shifts in a row and SKIING yesterday for 7 hours in SNOWFALL.  The skiing was spectacular but the snowfall was sometimes a bit much.  Hey it's March!!  But we had a wicked fun day, the kids and hubby and I.  I overdid of course flying through the wooded made-up trails with my kids.  They love it.  I love it.   But as the day wore on so did my thighs.  They were tired and beat.  I was done.  Skiing take A LOT out of you.  Today, I ran in my trail shoes.  Third run in them.  This time I actually ran on a trail with them.  Only the canal though.  No major toughie but I was tired of the clay soil and hills.  The first 5-7 miles were great and then I could tell I had been working my legs TOO MUCH and was like "be done already", but I was running an out and back course so no such luck and I just pushed through the fatigue.  The last mile I was so fed up with myself and the tempo of my songs (they were all TOO slow).  I flipped thru the songs sighing with every song that was next finding no umph to get me home any quicker.  Then with one final flip I got to my favorite UPBEAT song and was like totally adrenalinized.  I turned the volume way up and I ran a 6:18 pace back home for the last .3 miles.  Now I am dead to the world and need a break.  But no reprieve.  I work the next two days.  Going easy those two days.  Recovery runs x 2 in a row for 5 miles each.  Oh yah, AP today for 14 (8.6 miles on trail)=  8:12.

Oh my aching,   tired body--- FATIGUE O'RAMA!!  Dang the daylight savings--- seeing sunshine until 7pm makes me stay up later and then I have to get up early which is still earlier if it were last week....I just haven't caught up and I keep waking after only 2.5 hours of sleep thinking it should be morning and I stare at the ceiling or my pillow waiting.....I  got up at 4:50am and out the door by 5am to run my measly 5 mile recovery run, jog pace--8:48 for 5 miles.  First mile 9:52.  Last mile 8:13.  SOOO glad at mile 4 I literally ran into a group of friends from my ward (7 of them) and I got to have company for my last mile in the darkness.  So refreshing.  Whether was so nice, light breeze.  I clocked into work at 6:01 after getting back to my house at 5:46am.  Worked my BUTT off all day, non stop for 12.75 hours--- pretty much a 50 miler.  So much for ANY TRUE RECOVERY days.  When you work full time as a nurse there is no such thing as recovery.  I so wish I could truly rest....in my dreams, then again I don't even have much dream time since I am not sleeping well.  It looks like tomorrow I will run my next 5 mile recovery run in the rain.  I am trying to look forward to it : D.  Raindrops Keep Fallin' on my head  :  D.    BTW today I was teaching a student nurse and she accidentally walked abruptly into me while I was walking out the nursery door while my arm was out to the side getting the hand sanitizer on.  I whacked my inner lower arm by my elbow so hard that the entire shift I had such intense pain to my finger tips and up to my shoulder.  I have a very large contusion/bruise/hematoma on my arm and it swollen, burns and is also numb in areas.  I didn't have time to take anything for it and just thought of it as getting through the end of a marathon, and toughed it out.  But it was quite excruciating at times.  I finally just iced it for 30 minutes and took some ibuprofen.  Holy Moly, it is just a bruise for crying out loud.  

5 sluggish miles in the early hours of the morning before work-- 4:55am.  Colder since the storm came through, a wintry chill but not drastic.  AP 8:38.  I have had a slight sore throat but it tends to get better after my run.  Productive brief cough.  I am SOOOOO wiped out.  I blame daylight savings for my lack of sleep.  I am not getting any good amount. 

can't sleep....anxious sleep.   I just can't seem to konk out fully.  But every morning I am up like clock work so I walked my self out the door at 5:15am and drove the rec center to do a 12 miler.  I ran 4 warmup.  Was going to do hills for 7 miles but just couldn't do it.  I have this productive throat thing happening and I am just too worked over that it just wasn't worth it.  4 mile warmup at 2%-- 8:49, 8:41, 8:27, 8:06 sorta kind of-- I just kept upping the pace every 1/2 mile.  Took a potty break and did hill ladders, with pace at 7:53-- 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6 each at 1/2 mile increments.  DONE.  I was having a hard time not getting dizzy.  I almost passed out.  So I got off and drank more water and then got on and finished with 4 miles at AP of 7:45.  I so had to work that one out of the hat.  I worked the last two days and although I ran "recovery" runs before work I was NOT recovering at work.  It was like two 50 milers in a row.  Go go go, non stop for 12.5 hours.  I don't drink near enough at work.  I like my job but sometimes nurses are expected to be too perfect and meet so many needs and you feel if you  could just eliminate the charting aspect of nursing you could be the best ever.  Blah.  Enough whining.  12 miles total. 

First, ran two miles on my own nice and easy  in the wind (AP 9:04). Then ran with my trainee Jenn.  This time I let my garmin run through ALL of the walking at every mile starting at mile three.  Pace slower than two weeks ago but after mile 12 (we started at 530am) we had a very nice headwind.  The wind had died down after two miles together.  The moon was FULL and spectacular to look at.  Jenn was down about the wind but she persevered and made it to my home where we parted.  She only had .4 miles to go and we stopped to use my bathroom.  I had to get going to see Melanie finish her race (a whole  'nother sad but funny story), the Shamrock Half in Saratoga Winds, I mean Springs.  Our pace with no stopping of the garmin except for three times for longer stops (total of 8.5 minutes) was 10:37.  Total time 3:12 minutes!!!  Just a minute slower than my SGM PR!!  The only thing about running slower is that my joints were more achy.  Probably because I don't think I get my adrenaline and or endorphins going.  We did do some bursts which were fun to watch Jenn do.  She could really pick it up and, while my legs were stiff and struggling to catch her, she looked ENERGIZED. Seriously, she doesn't give herself credit.  She can run fast.  We got to 6:30 pace briefly.  Anyway,  back to Melanie.  She missed the turn and followed the lead pack of guys (uphill mind you) for .7 miles, then turning around after the sheriff told them they were going the wrong way.  So she and 4 other guys ran 1.4+ miles longer on the course.  She WAS in first until then and then ended up in third.  She was right next to the second place girl  at the finish and  I tried to get her to sprint with me, but she was mentally/physicall spent.  She did say she got to 13 miles in 1:30.  And that course and wind  IS a bugger!!!  The first guy came in at 1:27:40.  I don't know if he took a wrong turn so I bet the other guys really beat him.  The "first girl" followed wrongly as well but only for an additional 1/4 mile.  She came in at 1:34 something including the extra time.  Basically, KNOW YOUR COURSE.  There was noone at that turn, but a small cone with an arrow and if you blinked or if you were cruising you could easily miss it.  BUMMER.  The winner got a pair of running shoes.  The race director apologized and Melanie said "it's all good", mistakes happen.  She got in a good work out. 

To the rec center with Troy.  Sadly Troy fell on his knee last Monday Skiing down a black diamond with my highly active 8 year old daughter.  Now 7 days later, no running :((     He rode the bike after trying to run beside me on the mill to no avail.  He says "I'm fine".  But not really.  So today was supposed to be 10 miles with 5 at 1/2 marathon/15k pace.  Well I have to work the next three days (12.5 hours each) so I wanted to shorten those runs before work so I ran 13.1 instead.  Ran 5 mile warm up in 8:20 or less AP.  Started at 8:49 and ended at 8 AP with 2 % incline.  Then had to wait for a little ol' guy to finish up in the bathroom so I stretched a bit and filled my water.  Ran 1/2 mile more of a warmup at 7:53 then got right into seriousness....however with laryngitis/bronchitis this work out got hard.  Even harder when perfume lady was walking on the TM next to me.  So I ran 3 @ 6:40 (1%), 1 mile at 8:00 then 1 @ 6:40, then 1/2 mile at 8:00 then last  mile I ran this for each 1/4 mile laps (6:44, 6:40, 6:40, 6:00- 6:35)  with a long sprint at the finish--- Probably 6:25 or so for this mile.   Could barely talk after this run.  Cough productive but hard to get out.  At least it is this week and NOT this Saturday.  Although I am not liking the weather forecast for this Saturday.  But they have been wrong many a time.  Crossing fingers.  Ran 1.1 mile cooldown at AP 7:53.  

7 easy miles at 440am before work.  Got to work, discharged two of my three patients came home by 2 pm on call in a MASSIVE FATIGUE.  It is indescribably.  Took a short nap but still I feel so completely exhausted.  Hope my anemia isn't coming back.  Pace 8:25.

Got up at 4:25am to run earlier than yesterday because I thought  I was scheduled at UVRMC (12 miles away).  Ran 6 easy, last mile picked it up to 7:07 I think.  AP 8:05.  Turns out staffing made an error and I had to turn around and drive back to AF hospital, one mile from my house.  Bummer, I could have slept longer.  Today at work I was extremely tired once again.  But my patients didn't notice : D.  I try to do my best every day at work, never stopping until my patients are well taken care of.  Love the cute babies. Still a lot of boys and few girl babies.  I think I will knock myself out tonight around 9pm.  The sun is too bright right now.  Kids are all playing soccer and I am cooking dinner after just getting back from work at 6:35pm.

AP 8:41 for 5.5 @ 4:50am.   First mile 9:54   : D.    Last night after work and writing my last entry, I crawled into bed at 7:30pm and couldn't move or even see my kids.  I didn't sleep the whole time, it was broken sleep.  I just lied there in intense tiredness, burning from my shoulders deep into my spine and arms.  My eyes were burning and still are from fatigue.  Worked my last of three shifts in a row today.  Was excited to watch the BYU vs Florida game but that just zapped me from the remainder, if any, adrenaline I had.  Sadly we gave up in overtime.  Major bummer.  Tomorrow a short jaunt once again with some 100 meter pickups.  I am just hoping to not be fatigued like this on Saturday.  I feel like I need toothpicks to hold my eyelids open.  My head is pounding, low sugar in the brain feeling and I have been eating.  Blah.  I must be in that "body pretending its dying before a marathon breakdown".  But there is nothing currently I can do about  it then get my butt back into bed.  Going there soon. 

After a long night of tossing and turning I got up feeling more energized than the last three days---a relief.  I got geared up to run my planned 5.5 miles but accidentally went over. AP for the whole run was 8:15 for 6.6 miles.   Plan was also to do 10 x .08 (more than 100 meters, and .01 more than I ran last time , a big step I know  ; D, but I find it hard to get in a groove in only 25 seconds and even this felt too short, I guess that is the meaning of strides)  Anyway ran 4.45 mile easy  in 8:52 pace run then ran my strides with 0.1 miles in between with the lovely garmin beat reminders.  I accidentally started with my interval so my first one I was not quite ready yet it felt the best and then I ended up running an extra one because I missed counted. I kept waiting for my garmin to beep but it was in the cooldown mode.  Oh well.  They always do.  All the others actually felt very easy.  With the traffic  I slowed on a couple out of anxiety but I ran longer and quicker than my last strides, that's a plus.  I focused on "robot" arms and stretching out my legs.  I still don't know what strides are all about and how fast I should be doing them.  I like that they are over and done with before you know it.  Here are the splits for those and the 0.1 in between, so I can compare them later. ( BTW this was not all out but relaxed).   5:57, 8:03, 6:08, 7:49, 6:08, 7:42, 5:43, 7:23, 5:53, 7:29, 5:49, 7:36, 5:44, 7:42, 5:43, 8:08, 5:55, 8:17, 5:49, 7:58, finally the extra "11th" one where I actually slowed wondering why my watch wasn't beeping, so 0.11 miles @ 6:23, uphill but still felt easy.  Finished with 0.41 miles back to my house.  Driving up solo to Antelope Island in the morning at about 6:15am.  No reason to arrive there super early.  The race starts at 8am.  I am looking forward to a nice LONG run.  Goal would be to beat my time two years ago of 5:23.  Mel and I ran it then without any expectations but to just run it.  I have no idea of my ability now, two years later with more miles but less iron on board.  I also have hard memories of Squaw Peak but luckily that wasn't until mile 41.  This is so much easier than that course but it is has its hard points for sure.  One thing it March and the salt air is not so welcoming. It is numbing and usually bitter.  But hey, that's been the weather all winter.  Nothing new.  I hope to feel good at the end.  Time will tell.  Less than 24 hours and I am out there.  Good luck to everyone that is racing tomorrow!!  : D.

After a week of working, bronchitis/laryngits then other unforseen incidences of massive fatigue etc..., no taper and no sleep....I decided to follow through with my plans to run the 50k with only two (4 miles and 7 miles) trail runs on the canal here in PG.  The first loop I felt so strong and I ended up running 13 minutes faster  then two years ago coming in at 2:21 and leaving the 16.1 mile station at 2:23 something....and then the DREADED second LOOP DISEASE....like were did my stamina go?  Had something to do with lack of quality nourishment at the aide stations....watered down "EXCEED", I think that's what they called it.  It wasn't salty at all so  I grabbed two small handfuls of krinkle cut potato chips and two handfuls of m & ms and a total from all stations of  a 1/2 banana.  I counted my calories after the run to be 700 (including 4 gus).  I brought three and they were out at each of stations but one and it was mocha 2x.  Caffeine and I are not friends.  My heartrate soars for a bit and its hard to breath for a moment if I don't take enough fluid.  Back to the DREADED SECOND LOOP....I was cramped up like the end of an untrained marathon ( I guess you could say  I was an untrained trail runner here).  A nice fellow gave me words of encouragement and eventually after much MENTAL DEBATE about continuing I pulled my head out and pushed my body passed all the intense nerve and muscle pain just past mile 23.  My biggest complaints about the race: NO PORTA POTTIES, sometimes a woman NEEDS a POTTY.  Second, MY SHOES WERE A HUGE JOKE.  They are too big for me or at least today they were, my skinny ankles were moving all around in them and there was absolutely NO support for my ankles that I had to BREAK on EVERY downhill.  Sad but true.  Hence some mighty spasms in my quads at the end of the race.  On the second time up the switchbacks, well just before at mile 23, I realized I had tortured myself long enough with NO music.    I got it out of my fanny pack carefully watching my footing over rocks and put it on.  A HUGE BOOST to my ability.  I was like THANK YOU THANK YOU  I can finish this, just two more hills to walk up and then I am home free for those last 3.5 miles that seem to stretch on and on.  But I sped up and gained on some of the ground I had lost out on.  My second lap was depressingly 24 minutes slower than my first.    I had quit for about 8 miles of the run so I am not too disappointed with my time.  Plus with everything I mentioned above I feel quite happy.  I think  I could definitely go under 5 hours.  But I just have too keen a memory right now so I will probably try hard not to sign up again for this.   I drove up at 6:15 am and got there with 25 minutes to start.  I then drove back at 2:25 pm took some ibuprofen in the car and got home at 4pm showered and drove up to the Conference Center in Salt Lake with my daughter Courtney to watch the Young Women Conference.  It was lovely.  About ibuprofen: My soreness/achiness/cramps were gone with just two tiny little pills.  I could do leg lifts and kicks without a hint of having run 32 miles.  I sat through conference without much pain.  I SHOULD HAVE DOSED up on the run.  All this worry about nsaids during running and they would have saved me from a lot of grief out there in the wild salty air.  Oh well.  Live and learn.  FYI:  THIS course has a net of 3900 FT VERTICAL GAIN!!!  in case you were wondering :  D       A few more notes so  I can remember:  first loop uphill felt AWESOME and EASY.  The shoes were not good as I pointed out.  I was completely unstable on the downhills and in rocky spots.  Mile 6.5 to 7 I was at one point at a 6:38 pace but knew if I kept going like that I would trip on the many rocks and grooves that I had to slow down.  That mile was a 7:05 the first loop.  The second loop I was at 8:15 or so and is where I was about to quit but got out my ipod.  More about the shoes, they were aggravating even though my breathing and tempo felt really good.  I knew the extra work to adapt might proove fatal the second loop.    I finally pulled over and tied the darn shoes real tight so as to stay on my feet so they couldn't wiggle around and that helped but did cause two blisters, one on each ankle.  The second loop I tripped a few times but never fell.  My left ankle got twisted but  I just pushed through it.    Besides the muscle cramps, mostly on my left leg--hamstring and calf I felt like my core was doing quite well.  My shoulders were burning by the end.  The massage at the end helped tons.  The massage lady induced a major muscle cramp but she called for the head lady and she got rid of it pretty quick and got me water to drink and asked how well I nourished myself.  Not enough she told me.  I knew that.  I am pretty stupid about feeding myself in these runs.  700 calories probably is not enough.  I don't know about salt pills.  Have never tried them, even in the Squaw Peak 50 miler.   After the first 10 miles I never felt like I had to pee again.  I never peed the entire race.  Probably a bad sign of hydration status.  I did drink a cup of what  I now know to be heed at every aid station.  I filled my water bottle three times.  I wore a fanny pack that carried my water and three gus.  Next time I am taking some NSAIDS. 

The good thing about this race is that I am walking around normally.  I walked barefoot to the conference center from my car because heels are just not good for calves, however, after running that long.  But after the YW conference last night I stood up without a single cramp, just minor whiplash injuries.  This morning not much soreness.  So it must be the electrolyte problem during the second loop in the salty, windy, cold air.  I should check into good replacements during a run like this.  All I had was water in my fanny pack, no salt pills and some watered down drink at the aid stations.   If the stars were aligned some of the things I had to deal with during the race would have gotten me through at least 15 minutes quicker.  Oh well.  I am pleased because I think I will be able to run the miles I need to this week.

8:50 Pace  for 6.1 recovery miles.  FELT AWESOME.  Like on a cloud with my mizuno precisions that have 500+ miles on them.  So much nicer than my trail shoes felt on the trails and road running just feels different.   I can't get over how amazing I felt on this run.  I loves the cloud-like feel and even though I have some residual soreness in mostly my left hamstring and a little bit on my quads I felt like I wasn't working at all. So nice.  So happy.  But my throat is sore and now since my daughter doesn't have tonsils her rapid strep came back negative.  My white patch is obvious and it is sending pains to my left ear.  I just try to use homeopathic ways to kill it--like probiotics and herbal remedies/vitamins.  I know it sounds odd that I should feel that good with this condition but I do.  Last week was so intense with the fatigue.  This week I feel like a miracle has been performed  :  D.  PS our ward was just split.  In fact our whole stake had a meeting last night to let us know where all the new boundaries are and we were moved to go to the next ward over.  Five years with people you got to know well and now A HUGE CHANGE FOR OUR street.  We are going to be like the new students at school in an established ward.  Good thing for my daughter Courtney as the new ward will have 34 Beehives now instead of the 8 that are now left in our last ward.  She had only two  friends in the ward now she has many more to make.  

PM:  going to run 4 more miles per schedule  : D   Looking forward to it.  I could have gone on with the run above but I had to take Courtney to the Drs.  At least now I am following the schedule-- 6miles in the am, 4 miles in the pm (all recovery).   Addendum: Ran 5 recovery miles (8:42 AP)  at 4:30pm in the snow flurries and high winds.  I actually don't get too bothered with the wind anymore.  It seems normal now.  Antelope Island breezes were quite brisk people pointed out but I didn't feel too affected or distressed about it.   Suncrest is great training to rid yourself of any feelings towards wind and hills.

Slowly removed myself from my bed at 4:55am and was bummed I couldn't get out earlier to get in my 7 miles before work so I settled on just squeezing in 5 miles at 8:24 pace.  IT WAS FREEZING outside.   I wasn't expecting the TON O' FROST and the drop in temp so I was feeling like the tinman for most of my run.  Worked all day in level 2 nursery.  Battled a massive fatigue attack from like 1 until 5 pm.  Oh my!!!  Eyelids were burning again.  It is pretty intense.  There were a lot of fragrances in the nursery that contributed.  When I got out in the fresh air in the evening to watch my two daughters' soccer games I was reawakened.  Yay!! Courtney's team won 5-0  (last year playing the same teams they lost all but two, and already they have won two strongly), and Brooke's team tied.  The other team scored and "woke us up" and then we quickly scored and then the other team scored then we had another adrenaline surge and scored pretty quick afterwards.   All the girls were quite frozen.  10 year olds don't do as well as preteens in the cold.  

Progressive 16 miler up into Alpine.  I now have a new found appreciation for that Antelope Island 16.1 mile loop that I ran twice.  As I was running this hilly, but what seemed way easy to me, 16 miler today in the wind and sleet at times, I was taken back to last Saturday.  It took me with two stops included 2 hrs and 21 minutes (and I felt I was holding back) to finish that first lap.  It took 2 hrs 8 minutes today to run a road run (and I stopped my watch for a potty break at Alpine Center, next to the Eternal Water Fountain).  That is only 13 minutes faster than that 1950 ft climb and descent run!!!   Antelope Island 50 k is about the second loop.  It was cold and windy and aide stations were 5.5 miles apart.  I was lacking MUCH sugar to the brain Saturday hence the depression/desire to quit for a bit.    Today I didn't bring any water or nourishment.  I really could have used a gu the last 30 minutes to get over the rough spot.  My pelvis started to burn at mile 14 when I tried to pick it up.  So I slowed and made it through that hard moment.  It is still burning a little so I am icing it.  Cardio-wise I feel very strong and not winded whatsoever.  THANK YOU ANTELOPE ISLAND :  D    AP for 16 miles today =  8:01!!!   : D

NADA.  Was going to run with Kim for a brief 4 miles but was pulled to UVRMC 12 miles further away and 20 minute drive.  So, when I awoke with the same IT band pain on the left I opted out of a run today.  Work was long and longer.  I had a major fatigue moment again from 1 to 4 pm.  My cortisol level must be dropping off then.  I was VERY low last September and I was told to take DHEA but that supplement made me feel very dizzy and out of body.  So apparently my body lives on low DHEA since it can't handle any more of it.  ANY way just excercised my hip all day at work and wherever I went.  My new RS presidency came to visit me.  Then Courtney's YW presidency.  Everyone seems so friendly.  Funny how we always lived by one another but didn't know one another because the line that divided the wards was just to the west of us now it is just to the east of us.  I think this will be a good change for all of us.  : D.  PENANCE:  NOT GOOD THAT I ate a cheeseburger, tater tots, ice cream and pumpkin pie for lunch.  How is that going to sit for my SW tomorrow?    Legs very swollen by end of shift from all the salt/saturated fat.  Self control please!!!

Plan:  LT run with 6 at half marathon pace.  Whatever that is  currently.  I think I forgot I ran an Ultra Marathon last Saturday.   I don't know why I think I can just pull these runs out like nothing happened.  But it seems that I am doing okay so  I just started the workout as  1/2 mile at FMP (hopefully SGM this fall, F= Fantasy) and 1/2 mile at 5K pace so it went like this:  3.5 mile warmup in 30 minutes 10 seconds at 2 % grade.  Brief potty break then 1/2 mile at 8:00 pace (1 %) and then the SW at 1%:  No stops ran 1/2 mile 6:53, then 1/2 mile at 6:31 repeated x 4.  Then without stopping started the 5th one so again 1/2 mile at 6:53.  But was SO not wanting to go into the 6:31 again so I stopped the TM for 30 seconds and then ran a 1/2 mile at 8:00 pace and then started the last 1.5 miles beginning at a slower realistic MP which felt SOOOOOO lovely.  It was 7:03 for 1/2 mile then I went to 6:40 for a lap (1/4 mile) then 6:31-6:35 for a lap then back to the 6:53 pace for 1/4 mile speeding up the last lap from 6:31 to 6:00 pace.  So basically I ran 6 miles at AP of 6:40-6:42 depending on how much my sprint to the finish helped my AP.    Finished off with a cooldown 1/2 mile at AP of  7:50.  Total 11 miles at 7:30 pace.    Iced in AF river for as long as I could tolerate.  Air super warm.  Water glacier cold.  Lasted 1 minute 45 seconds.  Feeling really good about things currently.  Running that is.  Mind over body.    I work this weekend.  So I will do a short jaunt before work in the am.  

PM:  Ran at 4:48pm for  8  total running miles with Jenn (stopped garmin for our walks which started at mile 3 for .07 miles)  It was rather WARM out!!   Over 70 degrees.   Quite the difference from Tuesday morning's run in 27 degrees.  AP for these 8 miles = 10 :15.  Just strolling around enjoying the sounds and smells of early Spring.  At mile 8 we met up with Heather.  Heather is running the last 12 of the 20 with her today.  She is doing amazing. Last week she ran 14 miles at 9:40.  She said to me at YW conference " Julie you would be proud of me, I ran 9:40 pace for 14 miles".  She was feeling bad for the 10:37 pace we ran two Satrudays ago for her 18 miler in the wind.  I told her I wasn't worried and knew she had it in her : D.   She will probably win the Ogden Marathon someday and kick my can all around : D.  Not sure how sane I am running 19 miles today but I feel great!!

Monsoon Evening Run 7:10 pm--- seriously I think the winds had to be at least 30 mph the entire run, but at least it was a cool breeze in the warm air if that makes sense.  Easy pace run at 8:25 pace for 5.1.   Worked all day and didn't feel like getting up this morning so got out quick before hubby home from conference and kids wondering what else they can have to eat.  Whacked my ankle with a hard end of a rocker at work today.  Done that before years ago and the bone bruise took a while to go away.  The chairs are solid oak and all the nurses have at least got hit by one once.  It hurts like the dickens for a few minutes.  Didn't seem to affect my gait on my run but is sore to the touch.  

Progressive 20 miler on the TM at PG rec center.  Kind of funny to start a run like this with all sorts of people all around and end with NO ONE left beside me.  I didn't notice until I stopped my TM at the end that everyone had cleared, except my dear husband who left home after his shorter workout and came back to get me at noon.  You may wonder why in the world I would venture to do this on the long run on the TM?  Well, I am in OPEN rebellion to the sights of WINTER in SPRING!!!  I refuse to accept the snow piles and Christmas Looking mountains in April.  I refuse to wear my headband, long pants and gloves with triple layer tops for another long run this season.  So, in my little gym world I don't have to feel such weather or even stare it in the face.  This was impromptu as far as pace but it came out pretty decent.  I took two gus, one at mile 7.5 and one at 14.5 miles.  I had to restart the TM at 7 mile mark then the 15 mile mark due to the time limit of 60 minutes.  It took me 56:10 to run the first 7, 59:30 to run the next 8 miles, then 35:30 to run the last five miles.  I felt great the first 15 miles with little pains in my toes and hamstrings at random moments but did a lot of kickbacks while running to keep them from flaring too greatly.  I even tried some ankle twists to stretch my feet and toes while running.  The last 5 miles were harder as they were quicker and someone was wearing the most hideous perfume and she was right behind me.  There were only three other people left in the gym at that time.  Luckily she only lasted 3 miles so my last two miles were almost perfume free.  Here are my paces for each mile with first 15 miles at 2 % grade and last 5 miles at 1% grade:  8:49, 8:34, 8:20, 8:06, 7:53, 7:47, 7:47, 7:41, 7:41, 7:30, 7:30, 7:24, 7:24, 7:19, 7:19, 7:13, 7:13, 7:08, 7:08 and last 4 quarter miles at 7:03, 6:58, 6:49, 6:40 down to 6:27 for the last bend.  AP for the entire 20 miles= 7:36. At the end I had shooting  nerve pains to my toes and my pelvis (symphisis pubis) was burning a bit but other than that I felt fine.  Took a warm shower than turned it to VERY COLD water for at least 7 minutes to the lower half of my body.  Wasn't hungry the first hour but managed at the hour to have some cottage cheese  and two pieces of whole grain toast with butter and honey along with a glass of milk.  I think I will now indulge in CHOCOLATE   : D

10 easy pace miles.  Ran two miles to the canal  trail via 2600 north and ran south for 3 than back the same way so 6 miles on trail.  AP 8:38.  All I have from yesterday is a whiplash occipital headache that radiates down my right arm.  It is quite painful.  

Nothing.  Decided sleep was more important than running right now.  Worked all day.  Got keyed up watching my daughter's soccer game in Spanish Fork than could not fall asleep.  Stomach was in knots.  I was nauseated at work the last part of the shift and it continued through the night.  Slept from 1020pm until about 1:30am.  Woke and could not fall asleep. Was WIDE awake until I last saw the clock at 4:20am.  Continued on next blog..

SLEEPLESS NIGHT FROM 130am to 420am.  Drifted slowly back to sleep for less than an hour.  Awoke before my alarm could go off.  Met up with Kim and Jane.  Ran 11.32 miles total.  Pace 7:30 to 8:10.  Did 6 x 100 meter strides and an extra mile while Kim and Jane did 5 x 600 meters.  Nice spring morning.  Finally.  Birds a chirpin'  : D

Back to the TM.  CAUSE NO WAY was  I about to go out in snow flurries and winds!!!  especially after yesterday's lovely spring-like weather.  Ran my planned 15 miler with 12 @ MP.  3 miles warm up:  8:49, 8:41, 8:34 at 2 %.   Paces for each mile:  7:13, 7:13, 7:13, 7:08, 7:08, 7:08, 7:03 (all those were at 2 % incline) then had to zero TM again and ran the last 5 miles at 1 %, paces: 7:03, 7:03, 6:58, 6:58, last four1/4 mile splits --6:53, 6:53, 6:49, 6:49-6:18.  AP for 12 miles =  7:04. Cooldown 1/2 mile at 8:44 pace.  Took one gu and a friend gave me a strawberry shot block.  Yum.  That helped the best so  I think I will go replenish my supply of those.  Haven't used them in a while.  Took a hot shower followed by a freezing cold shower to the lower half of my body.  Ate cantelope, cottage cheese, oatmeal, skim milk, and a roma tomato.  I think I am due for some chocolate, AGAIN  :  D.  Not sure what MP is.  Probably 7:10 to 7:15.  But hey I hope going over just teaches me to run hard when fatigued.  I wanted to quit with two miles to go.  It wasn't that it was hard physically it was just hard mentally on the HAMPSTER wheel.  I was bored out of my gord.  Bored of watching the miles go by and keeping my footing even and trying to relax my form.  Outdoor running is where it's at for sure.  Nature is so much more calming.  : D

Just couldn't bring myself to get up early before work and run.... (glad I didn't since it was SNOWING and WINDY), so instead I worked 13 hours then got out the door at 7:10pm and ran 7  EASY pace miles, first mile 9:04 and last mile 7:49.  AP for this 7 miler = 8:26.  I had LARD-LEGS (I could barely do kickbacks the swelling in my calves and hamstrings was so great) due to Panda Express for dinner last night (thanks mom-in-law) and a sourdough tuna melt today with fries of course at work but cardiowise and other areas I felt GREAT.  No SORENESS whatsoever.  I am feeling really good.    : D.  

12 EASY pace miles at 7:12am on a NICE HILLY COURSE.  VERT unknown but up there.  I just kept laddering up the side of Orem and then found my self far from home.  Could have gotten in 12.4 to my house but I decided to stick to the plan and stop at 12 miles and walked  the rest of the way home in the cool, but sunkissed frosted morning.  Wore my trail shoes on the road.   They are more bulky and lately I can feel the rock plate in the  left forefoot.  It is not painful just bumpy.  I am wearing my trail shoes from time to time to strengthen areas in my leg muscles by switching shoes, an uncommon occurence in my past running life.  I chicked a guy who looked in shape.  I don't think he liked that.  He tried to stay with me.  I feel sorta bad.  But I am sure he just started running again or something.  This run felt easy until the last two miles when I was just REALLY hungry.  Lately I have been getting really hungry during long runs and THIRSTY.  But no way will I carry water!!  I did that for the Antelope Island 32 miler but will not on a regular run.  What to do?  Water stations should open up soon I hope.  One park  I ran by at mile 4 had a working water spout.  YAY!!!  AP today 8:19.  

Met Melanie at the Legacy Center (where she usually works out) and we ran a 3.55 mile warm up outside of course, first mile 8:54.  AP 8:12.  Then she needed to do 6 x 1200s while I needed to do 7 miles of LT (15k to 1/2 marathon pace).  My original plan was 2.5 miles x 2 then 2 miles (with 1/2 mile easy pace in between) for the finish but I felt SOOOOO good the first two miles that I ran a 5K instead.  We ran in a large FLAT, COUNTRYSIDE SQUARE however mile two was ferocious--- a significant head wind yet no wind at the legacy center two miles away!! We of course hit that part during the speedy  part each time and had a tail wind on recovery going south.  Dang.  But we toughed it out and tried to not think of turning around instead of turning north  :  D.  I ran this workout  with NO fuel or water, just two swigs of powerade zero (not the best AT ALL.  I would have rather have had water).  But hey they were on sale and Mel and I have a bunch (.39 for a 32 ouncer).  Anyway we laughed at the finish cause we got lost from each other because Mel extended on in a straightaway and when she came back on course she could not see me so she ran a different way and then well....we met up within seconds at the Legacy Center oddly, coincidentally enough, having run roughly the same amount of miles.  Both of us stopped during the final cooldown miles wondering where each other was??????  toooooo funnnny!!    At the end we stretched in the Legacy Center and did some planks (2:15, and 30 sec each side).  Arms frozen from the elbows to the shoulders.  We ran in shorts and I wore short sleeves after our warm up.    Almost forgot,  here is what I ran:  5K in 20:31 (splits 6:33, 6:38, 6:39, 6:35 for .1)  FELT AWESOME and since this was LT I felt I could have run this quite a bit faster.  I was shocked when my garmin read 6:31 pace consistently for the first .7 miles, I knew for sure I better slow it down.  After the "5K" I ran 1/2 mile at 8:31 pace and then pottied real quick as Mel sped by me finishing one of her 1200s.  Second set (two miles):  Pace 6:37, 6:45 (0.75 miles in the headwind going north, bummer!!),  then 1/2 mile recovery at 8:40pace, then went right into the third set (two miles):  Pace:  6:42, 6:43. AP for 7 LT miles = 6:40!! : D.  Ran back to Mel's road (1.7 miles) and could not find her.  Took another swig of powerade then headed back to the legacy center stopping to pick up my tights etc... on the fence still wondering where is Melanie?  Low and behold there she was standing next to her van as I was getting to my car.  Cooldown I ran 3.6 miles at 7:48 AP.  

6 miles BEFORE work at 430am because AS SOON AS I get off work we are heading for St. George for Spring Break.  AP 8:54.  Easy run after Tuesday's big work out and the fact that it is ridicuously EARLY!!!  It was chilly.    I arrived home at 6:45pm and we left in our car IN TORRENTIAL HIGH WINDS (63 mph) at 7:15pm.  I was wishing we could just leave in the morning.  An hour into our 4 hour drive we were driving in an INTENSE BLIZZARD!!!  going mostly 30 mph sometimes slower.  What in the heck?  IT IS SPRING BREAK AND WE ARE HEADING SOUTH?????????   Amazingly since we only stopped once for 10 minutes we arrrived at our place (grandpa's trailer) at 1130pm!!    Got to sleep about 1215am.  VERY tired!! to say the least.

Just following the plan.  10 miles at 7:52 pace leaving the trailer and heading UP Snow Canyon for five miles and turning around (Got to run inside the park for .4 miles to get to 5 miles).  VERY HILLY CLIMB.  Ran at 7:45am.  Felt good but slightly fatigued due to lack of sleep and working/running A LOT!!  Hiked in Snow Canyon with kids to THREE PONDS.  For one mile is was PURE SAND.  We were pretty tired of sand by the end of this trail.  My kids were QUITE the troopers.  The other part of the trail was sandstone and rock formations that were fun.  It got kind of warm but the breeze was GREAT!!  This took us 2.5 hours total, 3.5 miles.

5 miles easy (8:41) with Troy at 7:30am before heading out to ZION's National Park 40 miles away.  Was feeling tired the first mile (9:59) but finally felt fine by mile 5 (7:30).  A little worried about HIKING ALL DAY (and yesterday for that matter) then running 22 miles with SPEED STARS Jane and Kim tomorrow.  Hiked Angel's Landing to Scout's Lookout ( I  do not trust my 8 year old up any higher.  She has NO fear that's what's scary!!).  This HIKE climbs 1400 feet in 2 miles (total 4 roundtrip).  I love the going up.  On the way down I purposely WALKED as turtle-like as I could so as to not use too many of my DOWNHILL muscles before tomorrow.  My girls were huge troopers.  Amber led us the whole way.  Brooke, due to lack of sleep, complained more than she normally would.  We later hiked a short steep climp to Weeping Rock and then we strolled down Temple of Sinawa to the Gateway of the Narrows (another total 2.6 miles).  Hello!!! I am running in the morning with SPEED STARS!! Did I say that already?

A breakthrough run for me.  Not sure of what to completely think about it.  Troy drove Kim, Jane and I  22 miles from the finish of SGM and up the course.  He dropped us off (so about mile marker 4.2).  We dropped off water/gatorade and gu at four places along the route (3.25,  8.8, 14, and 19.2, I have a good memory : D)  We took off at 6:30am.  The sun was edging its way over the canyon.  It was very beautiful.  So nice to not be in race mode at SG.  I have never run the course without it being race day.  So this was a real treat.  My plan was to stay with Jane and Kim for as long as I could.  I didn't want them to slow for me so I let them do the pacing.  I stayed with them the whole  way which was SHOCKING!!  AND I felt REALLY strong at the end pushing them at just before the true 24 mile marker of the course where we stopped for our last swig of gatorade (19.2).  After that I felt even stronger but BIONIC Kim and Jane ALL READY for the PROVO MARATHON in three weeks with all their Max VO2 workouts were even stronger, like I felt like "hey, is this the marathon and I am fading ????  NO!! because I see my watch reading 6:34, and then 6:34 again and they are 15 seconds ahead of me?  what in the heck!!! ??????   The last mile I slow to 6:51 cause oddly my car odometer is off and we were at 21.5 miles at the finish and NOT 22  (MY MENTAL PROBLEM) so we had to go right by the finish line and add on uphill and turn around.  Jane and Kim at this point are over 40 seconds ahead from when we took off from 19.5 miles and I am HIGH FIVING them as they fly by me at the turn around to finish the run  just back at the FINISH LINE and I still have to make the turnaround.  AMAZING!!!  If they are moving WELL today that would be even MORE amazing!!  I had no plans of ripping up those last few miles.  I have never run that fast at the end of a 22 miler and IRONICALLY never that fast on the SGM course!!!  It gave me HOPE to finish strong come OCTOBER 1st!!!  Here are the splits (all of us the same until mile 19.2):  WARNING THIS IS RIDICOULOUSLY ODD FOR ME!! FASTER THAN MY MARATHON PR AVERAGE PACE.  WEIRD.  I am weirded out!!   7:21, 7:15, 7:44 (coming upon VEYO), 8:03, 7:28, 7:35, 7:27, 7:01, negative splits coming up : D,  7:04, 6:52, 6:44, 6:41, 6:44, 7:01 (that hill at mile 18 during the marathon), 6:45, 6:41, 6:54 (not sure why Kim and Jane are slowing and I feel like I am going to trip over them since I have been running two paces behind them the whole way), 6:57,  I feel really like I should be running faster but they are still going easy.  Maybe on purpose?  I put my music on at mile 14 because I could no longer hear them with all the speeding cars going by.  6:46 (I ran past them because  I SO LOVE THIS MILE OF THE MARATHON-- where all the spectators stand and put their hands out to cheer you on-- AND I FELT GREAT ONCE AGAIN : D), here is the shocker---- 6:34, 6:34, then my slower mile, feeling defeated-- 6:51.  But I wasn't defeated this was a great, fantastic MENTAL BOOST for me.  AP for 22 miles at 7:03 (7:02.7 to be exact : D)!!!  I am in shock.  Completely.  

Got up.  Went to church in St. George then drove home via Zion's National Park since we bought a 6 day pass.  Did the Overlook hike just beyond the 1 mile tunnel through the canyon.  Loved it.  It took 20 minutes to climb up just over a half mile.  The kids quite enjoyed this one.  One of my favorites.  Although, I am AFRAID of heights.  Drove home the "back" way up through Panquitch, Richfield and Gunnison through Levan to Nephi.  Such beautiful scenery.  It only took a half hour longer and soooo worth the clear roads and vistas.  

Hilly route around my house up and down the streets so I wouldn't cross my tracks.  I wanted a variety.  The smell of Spring was very much in the air with a fine sprinkle throughout the run and flowers on trees bloomin' brightly!!  So loved this run so glad no problems since the BIG run on Saturday.  AP = 7:57.  8:49, 8:30,  8:14, 8:09, 8:01, 7:49,  7:32, 7:35, 7:36, 7:17.  I guess this was almost a progressive 10 miler.  Not sure why I am  feeling so good.  I still have a little less than 8 weeks to go.  What's the rush?  : D

6 EASY paced miles at 4:54 am before work.  Got back in the nick of time to get ready in five minutes and drive ONE mile to work : D.  AP 8:35.  It was QUITE windy this morning but not too chilly. : D.

Got up at 4:15am to follow the 9 mile plan BEFORE work.  No time after work.  And after work I feel sluggish anyway.  Left my house at 4:25am.  Ran without my garmin for 5 miles (a 2.5 mile loop twice).   I awoke to find my garmin saying "low battery" so I plugged it in and ran 5 then came back for it in order to run SW.  But my legs felt QUITE tired so I decided to just run the 9 and do them tomorrow (6 x 600) with my 11 miler.  Did throw in one little pick up for .4-- 6:45 pace.  Felt nice.  Worked all day.  Another busy shift.  I never actually get true recovery days.  Oh yah pace down  a notch--- the first five about 8:40 (no garmin, just a guess).  Last 4 just under 8:30.  : D.

To the gym. My neighbors were leaving at the same time, apparently. They thought I was a stalker driving behind them all the way to the rec center--- the newspaper boy that drives wildly around our streets delivering papers in record time. I guess they were a little tired to tell it was just me driving a normal space behind.  But she was driving 6 mph below the speed limit, slowing even more at times.  Maybe I was supposed to pass?  Anyway they learned it was me when we got there.  I felt bad they were stressed about it.  How do you tell someone you are not a stalker?  I wasn't driving like a maniac.  Anyway...ran on the TM to force myself to run SW.  My legs are stiff and tired of two 13 hour shifts and even worse with a cheeseburger w/grilled onions and steak fries to boot.  Seriously, why do I crave something that makes me a slug?  Then our new ward had a get to know the new people (us and our street) with everyone bringing a treat to share....luckily I was still stuffed from the cheeseburger and swedish meatballs Troy made and I ate as I got home last night before the party.   My run--   6 mile warmup-- increased the pace by .1 mph every .75 miles starting at 8:49 pace all at 2 %.  Ended at 8:00 pace but then picked it up to a brief 6:18 pace to see if that is where I should start my 6 x 600s (1 1/2 laps or .375 miles).  Got off TM and restarted it/potty break/stretched.  Then  6 x 600 with 90 seconds at 8:57 pace in between.  Paces-- 6:18, 6:15, 6:15 to 6:11 (testing the waters : D), 6:11, 6:11, 6:11 to 6.    Glad that's over.  Prefer outside.  The TM shakes too much and my stride is wobbly but I felt strong throughout even though I am still probably fatigued from working and the 22 miler on Saturday.  Just getting the training done.  The clock is ticking.....

Went to the Women's Expo at UVU and ran on Run13's TM during the expo for 11 miles.  1/2 mile warmup at 8:34 then AP for 10.5 miles = 7:34.   Walked around the Expo for 20 minutes then ran 4 cooldown miles outside in my shorts in the much cooler temps (but I put on my black longsleeve tech shirt to ask the sun for help).  AP there 8:39.    Was getting VERY hungry as I hadn't had lunch yet and was almost 3 pm.  Ate easter m & ms at 11am after grocery shopping for almost two hours.  Felt strong and then sluggish by the end.  Still only a week from "race pace" last Saturday.  Funny how my shorter runs are slower paced. I thought it was supposed to be the opposite way around? BTW I got a free entrance into the Memorial 10k put on by Run13.com for running over an hour on the TM by their booth.  So it was worth it.  A workout with a prize at the end   : D.

Got sent home early from work at 230pm.  Came home folded laundry then laid down on my bed for 20 minutes waiting for Jenn to call so I could run her second half of her long run with her. She had run 10 miles this morning and was doing 12 more this evening for a 22 miler.  We drove up South Fork (her husband drove us) and I parked my car at Orem Soccer park.  It was raining then snowing briefly at the top.  Just a nice easy run.  I needed to take it down a bit from all my quicker paced runs.  It was great to run with Jenn again.  Unfortunately Jenn had an achilles problem almost from the start of the run and by mile 8 she couldn't run any longer.  I even tried massaging it for her and had her do some exercises but still the pain worsened.  I ran 3.2 miles back to my car and returned to pick her up at the mouth of the canyon.  Luckily we both had cell phones to call one another when I reached my car.  AP 9:04 for 11.22.  I stopped my watch when we walked so it would have been close to 12 to the soccer park.  I quite liked the dewey rain and greenery.  No wind so that was extra nice.  I imagined my friend Mel, Kim and Jane flying down the canyon during the marathon in less than two weeks.  

Ran 8 mile warm up :  D      at  AP of 8:19, 2  % incline.  Basically a progressive run starting at 8:49 each mile increasing by .1 miles each mile.  Legs lead-like.  Rather ELEPHANT-like.  Just full of excess water weight from Easter festivities at work and last night at my mother-in-laws (ham and rolls and cheesy potatos).   Felt nice to still go easy.  Then after my 8 miles of duldrums I ran my planned 5 x 600 meters (.38 miles) at 5k race pace (ran 90 seconds in between at 8:57 pace).  I really don't know what my 5k pace is, so  since it is the TM I put it to be faster, so 6:15  x 3 then 6:11, then 6:06 (1 % incline). Felt very doable and controlled, especially the last one.  There is something about knowing you are almost done.   Cooldown 1/4 mile.  11 miles total @ 7:51 AP.  Planks 60sec front, 30 sec sides repeat x 1.  Pushups-- 3 then repeat x 1.  I decided it is time to get back to core and arms since it has been a few months since I have done them routinely.  The last time I did planks was over two weeks ago.  Back to square one, ONCE MORE.     

Okay so I heard the weather report last night and decided to just sleep through the dreaded storm.  I also heard a canyon dweller say something like "mother nature is going to prove something to us" with all this snow and then a sudden thaw that would cause floods like 1983.  I was like what does mother nature have to prove?  We can't stop her no matter what.  So.....at 640 am I awake to NO storm.  I see lurking clouds---stratus ones-- but hey NO snow currently.  But I stay in my warm bed 20 minutes longer pondering my options. What if I wait until 915am when the kids are all at school and I get this ferocious storm to run in?  Not happening.  So I bundled up and headed for the door HOPING to stay ahead of mother nature.  Yah right, I made it a 1/2 mile when high winds and SNOW started to fly.  Yup.  I was doomed to be running in a storm.  I had 14 miles planned but no direction in particular.  I decided I needed some hill work so I headed up towards Farm rd to the mouth of the canyon.  I basically ran 7 miles rolling uphill and 7 miles rolling downhill.   When I got to the canyon I decided to run up it until 7 miles and then turn around and take the same route back.  I ran 1.5 miles up the canyon.    In the canyon  things got really good, AS if WINDS and SNOW weren't enough---  HIGH WINDS and PELTING HAIL made it all that more SPECIAL.  I was thinking hey, "nice I have a tail wind on the uphill" but then I thought "but dang I don't want a headwind on the downhill" and That's when MOTHER NATURE RESPONDED,  "okay so she isn't thankful for her tailwind, fine!!"  and within a split second INTENSE HEADWIND while I ran up the canyon.  It was like minnie twisters in the air, swirling changing directions at will.  I would charge thru them only to come upon another fierce wind pocket.  "OH YAH!! well I will take what you are giving me and just run as quick as I can and get out of this wind tunnel!!"  As I got back to the mouth of the canyon, CUMULUS CLOUDS and a SPECK of BLUE SKY in the valley.  AHHHHH!!  It was still  quite windy  there coming up and over that steep hill outside the canyon but it let up my last 3 miles ever so nicely until I headed west again towards my house.  AP for 14 miles= 7:39.  Splits :8:48, 8:28, 8:25, 8:37,  7:59,  7:40,  8:14 (thanks MN),  7:09 ( I can't even go fast, if the wind was a little swifter I would have been BLOWN into the even SWIFTER RIVER in the canyon), 7:35  (the steep canyon wall climb), 7:08,  6:41,  6:37,  6:55, 6:56.  DONE.  As soon as I walked indoors I started to MELT.  It was less than 29 degrees on my run.  HELLO,  IT  IS APRIL!!!!  btw no fuel--- water or gels etc... on this run.  No stops.

10  EASY pace miles.  I was supposed to run  6 in the am and 4 in the pm but I just don't have time to shower etc....again after a second run, with my kids home from school and things happening.....but I totally feel that is the way a recovery run should go because at 6 miles I felt great going easy but the last four (probably because I speed up the longer I am out there) I got tired, achy and HUNGRY, without fuel or water.  Yesterday I was fine without fuel/water but today BEAR HUNGRY.  AP for 10 = 8:28.  

Out in the CHILLY air 434am before work.  Easy pace run and I had to be at UVRMC's NICU by 6am (20 minutes away).  First mile 9:29 and I was like "oh my, I won't get my 7 miles in" but I didn't care I was going to go easy today.  Then when I saw mile two at 8:22 I was in shock.  I still felt I was going at the same pace.  Good sign for an easy day and then every mile after that felt so easy...8:18, 8:12, 8:05, 8:05, 7:57. AP 8:22 for 7.  I just thought it was a funny progessive run again without trying.  It was a CLEAR morning.  I saw this "blur" coming closer and closer in the middle of the road and so I moved to the other side and then I realized it was a boy/teen on his skateboard.  I said "hi" and he said "hi" back.  Not sure what HE was doing out at that hour?  going to work?  anyway, made it to work and clocked in at 6:03.    Cutting it close I know but its the price I pay to get my training in.  BTW I wore my trail shoes today, just for new feel on my feet.

7 miles in VERY WINDY conditions at 424am.  Easy pace miles--- AP 8:15.  My new shoes came in so I wore those.  Not sure if  I should race part of the Thanksgiving Point half (I didn't sign up because I refuse to pay 75 dollars for a half marathon.  Last year they didn't up the price until the last week.  The price was 45 dollars in February apparently.  Whatever!!  ) OR should I run with Mel, Jane and Kim for their last 13 miler before their big SUB three  : D next week and try to run 9 miles fast in there without them because they will be doing just a 7:15ish pace????  Decisions decisions.  THIS windchill is also making me NOT want to race.  Snow AGAIN?!!!!!  Winds, AGAIN.  25 degrees in the morning?!!!!!!    OH Bother Pooh!!  I am kind of tired after working all day, busy shift and waking so early.....but TRAINING MUST GO ON!!!  Still really no TRUE recovery days.   

So I went with Option B.  Especially when I awoke in the middle of the night about 3am to see SNOW accumulation!!!!  and it was STILL SNOWING!!  I awoke at 4:45am and drove to Center St. in Orem to the Riverwoods to park my car and run 5 miles to Center St. in Provo before meeting up with Kim, Mel, and Jane for their last 13 miler before their big race next weekend.  They were pretty bummed about the snowfalling but I had grown quite accustomed to it by the I met up with them.  I was gettting chilled waiting for them to start their 13.  We left at 6:12am from Center St. and ran the Provo Half Marathon course (also the last half of the Provo Marathon).  The first two miles were 7:38, 7:30.  The next 11 the pace got progressively quicker and I felt really good except I felt stiff due to the COLD air and SNOW FALL ALL AROUND.  Mel, Kim and Jane were not feeling it and also they were to take it easier so they urged me to continue on.  I had decided on my drive over that I would run this long run with some MP miles and try with all my might to get the first half of next Saturday off and run 17 miles of the Provo Marathon with 14 at half marathon pace.  It was supposed to be a 15k (9.3 miles) at half marathon pace this week on a different day then my long run but I have to squeeze them together. So I reversed the order of MP and half MP because it is hard to race when there really isn't a race going on.  I am SO GLAD I didn't run Thanksgiving Point half today-- with how wet, and snowy it is the course would have been even more CHAOTIC.  It interloops with the other runners AT least 7 times.  A joke.  It would have been slip slidin' race and scurrying around, lapping runners.  It will be interesting to hear how others enjoyed that race today.  AP today for the 5.2 miles before the meet up:  7:59.  For the 13.1-- 7:11 (felt I could have run a lot quicker, felt really easy, just stiffer than I would like) last four miles--6:53, 7:01, 6:55, 6:56 (viaduct HILL, gross!!), last .1 at 6:37,  then cooldown 0.7 @ 7:32.  AP for entire run 7:28 for 19 miles.  Don't even feel like I worked too hard at all.  Ate two gus to prepare myself to fuel in the race.  I hadn't been taking much in my runs if anything.  

HOLY MOLY    I SURE HOPE I FEEL THIS GREAT COME JUNE11th.  Not sure why today I felt awesome!!!   Okay so due to my work schedule I had to add on to the 11 miler scheduled (including 6 x 1000meters, 0.625 miles) and make it a 15 miler.  I work the next two days and I can't get in long miles before work especially when I am being pulled to a different hospital and have to drive longer, get up earlier.  So to save time this morning I left my house at 5:49 am and ran to the rec center (actually I ran by it to get 4.2 miles before hopping on the TM there for speed).  ON the TM I warmed up for 2 miles and went into the 6 x 1000 meters.  Since I had been doing ONLY 600 meters and at times struggling I thought I would start at 6:18 pace, again I still don't know what 5k race pace is.  Welll it felt   sooooooooooooooooo  easy I thought perhaps the TM was being nice to me.  Like maybe some TMs are easier?  but it was the same as all the rest so I assume I just was having a good day.  I thought maybe it was because it was the first one so I ran the next and had the same results and the third, SAME.  All of these were run with 2 minutes in between at 8:49-8:57 pace.  So for the forth one I ran a 6:15, then another 6:15 increasing the pace for half of it to 6:11.  I ran the last one at AP 6:03.  SERIOUSLY I FELT WICKED GOOD.  Perhaps it was the CRYOTHERAPY with my run over to the rec center in my shorts.  I am sure it was 27 degrees this morning.  Frost but sun almost over the mountains.  I cooled down for a bit to 12 miles and ran another 3 miles home.  Helped a kid cross the road, because not a single car would stop for him with his bike beside him.  This is by the high school. Scary drivers and no mom watching out for him.  He said thanks and was on his way.    AP for road miles totally 7 =  8:15.  No plans to whip it on the other miles today since my 19 miler was decent enough.  Looking SO forward to this SATURDAY  : DDDDDDDDDDDDDD   I FEEL INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MORE SMILY FACES  :   DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

8 easy pace miles (8:23) at 4:20am before work at UVRMC' s NICU.   Worked all day.  PRETTY fatigued. Need some quality sleep but no time with training, work and mothering : D.  Got to get up and go early again in the morning.  Hopefully to bed soon.  

EASY tired run at 4:45 am.  Then got home and was pulled to UVRMC and had to b-line it to Provo in 13 minutes!!! NOT got there, clocking in five minutes late.  I just couldn't get out any earlier but I thought I was working just one mile a way.   I am REALLY needing some nice long sleep cycles.  But training must go on and there is too much to do.  My mother is in town and I don't want to be running when she is awake.  I want to be done with my runs so that means up early every morning this week.  6 miles at 8:31 AP

supposed to run 12 but couldn't run the extra 2 miles last night so planned on 14 then ended up being further from home than I thought so it took me to 15 miles to get home.  I ran up and around Highland.  Wow, cars/people are in a rush in the mornings speeding by to get their kids to school, texting and barely looking up.  I prefer my early roads to myself runs but the sun's rays were a welcome.  I thought it would be warmer and wore shorts.  My legs were red for the first six miles and tingly when I tried to bring them back to life by massaging them while running.  I left at 6:45 am.   I was VERY VERY thirsty and NO running water on my unplanned course.  AP easy cause I supposed to race part of the Provo Marathon on Saturday or at least do MP for 14.  Basically I am there to support my friends in the marathon.  15 miles @ 8:20.  btw my 10 year daughter scored the winning goal in the second game of the tournament.  They are currently undefeated in competition soccer tournament.  They should be going into the semifinals.  : D.

6   S  L   O  W    miles at 6:49am.  I am having a "flare" of whatever illness shows its ugly face to me ever so often and usually at the wrong times.  It started Monday afternoon with EXTREME fatigue followed by TONS of exposure at work to HEAVY cleaners and perfumes for two days 13 hours each.  Then WHAMO body aches, joint aches, INTENSE nerve pains mostly from the top of my head to the bottom of my foot on my right side.  I also have areas of numbness tingling.  And a lot of dizziness and out of body type feelings.  Even deep in my eyes hurt.  I hate when this happens cause it usually last 3 to 5 days.  I hope I am at the tail end of it.  It was VERY intense last evening and now mostly my right hand/elbow and neck, face and eye.  Time is the healer as well as nourishing foods and vitamins/minerals.  I actually had a huge flare the day before SGM 2009 and was able to pull off a 3:11 feeling super gross at the start.  So I am hoping I can just do what I need tomorrow for MP/1/2MP then cool it for the other miles.  My mother gets the same problem, so I am sure it is genetic.  She has lived with it for many years.  Her father had MS.  So who really knows, but it comes in with a pattern each time.  Glad my friends feel great for their race tomorrow.  AP today 9:10.  First mile well over 10:00.  I was so feeling sick.  

So today started rough. I slept dreadfully still in pain as spoken of yesterday.  My right calf was burning.  Kind of like cramping up tons like I used to in pregnancy.  I was not looking forward to this run.  I needed to run MP for 14 miles but I also wanted to run the race I didn't run last week due to the snow so was hoping I would feel up for 1/2 MP.  I went up to the start of the Provo Marathon with Mel, Kim and Jane.  It was the smallest marathon start I have ever been to.  Not many runners at all, only five buses.  So, I warmed up by running up .75 miles then back down .75 miles nice and slow.  The calf was trying to work itself out.  It was cold before the warmup but after that I was able to remove all my gear and wear my shorts and lime green nylon shirt.  My plan was to keep the girls in site since they were going for MP at 6:49.  And that's what I did until mile 4.5 or so and I felt SOOOOOO good and was gaining on them, being about 20 seconds back from them in the earlier miles.  I passed them and told them I would be the rabbit for the fast girl up in front.  I was wondering what the heck I was talking about?  Seriously, like I am going to pass Sariah Long?  But not long after that I passed her.  I was running 6:30s out of the canyon.  Like where did that come from?  I am thinking soon I am surely going to crash but maybe not.  Maybe my training is paying off maybe I can run this thing well.  So I kept on.   And then a couple miles later I passed the leading girl and then at mile 12.7 or so Sariah came from behind me with a pacer friend and I heard "here she is"  and I was like "no worries about me I am nobody I am just a rabbit and running half of the race and hoping to break three hours at SGM this year and I am running UVM in five weeks and just got the time off work just yesterday to run this morning,......blah blah blah and HEY I AM LIKE TALKING NORMALLY at a 6:40 pace. Seriously?  Seriously?    I wasn't EVEN feeling all out in this race.  It felt SUPER controlled.  I was like save up Julie You are running 20 miles today this ISN'T race day this is LONG RUN with MP day/1/2 MP day.  I HAVE NEVER FELT THIS STRONG IN A RACE.  I felt I had TONS left in the tank.  But I was like why mess up a good thing?  So I stopped briefly at 13.1 miles (1:27:06) and waited for the girls.  Cheered them on then shortcutted to meet them at another place.  Then watched the lead ladies in the half marathon at mile 12 or so then found McKenzie and Aubrey (and someone I don't know) and turned around and ran the finish of the half with them.  Then FEELING EVER SO IN NEED OF FUEL I STOPPED AT THE FINISH, found 1/2 a banana and some water and took off for two more miles to get just over 20 miles.  AP for all 20 miles= 7:15.  AP for half marathon=  6:41.  Seriously in Shock at how WONDERFUL I felt and how strong I felt.  Just bizarre.  The ONLY PROBLEM I had with this race was that at mile 1.5 or so I reached for my gus I pinned to my shorts in a plastic baggie and only one of my three remained.  I decided right there that that wouldn't upset me and that I could run this on one gu.  The water stations WERE ridiculous.  Miniature Dixie cup portions and I only got gatorade once.  But somehow that didn't matter.   After the finish it mattered.  I could tell during the five mile easy pace cooldown that I was dehydrated and fueless.  It was getting hot out and my calves began to cramp.  BUT after getting to work, showering there, and working with one of my longtime friends in the NICU, hydrating all afternoon I  FEEL AWESOME.  Like I never even raced today.  What if June 11th I don't feel so well?  I just don't know.  Sometimes I just want to quit while I am ahead.  : D.   Goals. smoals.  I HAVE TO PUSH AHEAD AND CONTINUE HEADSTRONG.  Splits for the half:  6:51, 6:52, 6:50, 6:42, 6:38, and now the course flattens...6:27, 6:33, 6:32, 6:36, 6:39, HILL-- I purposely slow down to see if I can handle it after this--6:54, 6:44 -- no problem getting the pace back feeling great, 6:41 (chatting with Sariah), .1 6:17.    1:27:06   : DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

SOOOOOO glad I got my run in before finding out that I DID NOT GET INTO THE ST GEORGE MARATHON!!! after five lucky years NUMBER 7 (the total I would have run) was NOT SO LUCKY!!!  I am flabbergasted.  UVM was not WHERE I was going to break three hours plus hey SGM was a tradition.  Now a HUGE LETDOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Blah.  blah.  AP for 10 easy miles in the rain  =  8:19.  

Recovery run.  1/2 mile with Courtney, my daughter. She wants to start to run again to get better in soccer.  Then 2.6 miles while Courtney was getting ready for school at 8:50.  Then called Kim and ran easy with her.  I made her go slow on purpose.  She needs easy runs for recovery from Saturday.  AP for 5.7 miles = 8:30. First two miles over 9.  Chatted and had a relaxing run while her kids were watched by my 10 year old and my husband who at the time we left was asleep.  Surprise for him!!  My kids were all ready for school when I got back.  And they were HAPPY : D.

I love it when you get and email titles "Congratulations (from ST George Marathon)" and think just maybe, maybe they forgot my name on the list and are writing to tell me. Then I open the email and it says "we regret to inform you that you didn't make it in but then lists charities to try etc... WHATEVER!!  I don't know why but I feel less spunk now that I am NOT in the SGM.  UVM was all for training for SGM and to see where my fitness level was.  I hope I can regain my mental focus.  I still believe I can run a 3:10 there.  I am just not sure how into it I am without out my favorite fall marathon.  Blah, blah.  BLAH!!  I will  get over it I am sure I will.  But it is VERY odd that MANY people I know did NOT get in.  It was like the chances of getting in were more like 25% then 75%.  I thought there were 7500 entries with 10,000 applications?  But maybe there were a lot of THREE TIMES a charm and 10 year clubbers.  So far no one in my neighborhood got in-- Jane, Kim, Kerri, Adrienne, Taunya and myself.  Also Josse and my sister and Michelle and her sister.  Weird Science.  Anyway today ran 4 miles to the PG rec. Then two on the TM then right into 5 x 600s (.38 miles) at 1 % with 90 sec in between at 8:49 pace.  FELT VERY NICE.   First one 6:15.  Second one 6:15.  Too easy so 6:11.  Then 6:11.  Then AP for last one 5:58 probably but I got down to 5:49 for a good portion.  Brief cooldown on the TM then ran home to get 13 even.  AP for 5 on the mill = 7:22.  AP for 8 outside nice and easy (last mile 7:22 however)= 8:13.

AP 8:03.  445am.  So tired during run having taken 1/2 a benadryl tab before bed.  There is something in the air giving me a headachce and burning eyes.  Ran for 7 miles before work with 8 by 100 meter strides.  Paces fun-- 5:49 to 6:10.   Currently VERY tired.  Going to bed soon.  Work again tomorrow.

Nice and easy, well sort of--- I was really tired dragging my bod out of bed to get those darn miles in before work.  Nice that I could wear shorts.  Got in a 7:27 mile the last one because I noticed I was running out of time for a shower.  Took too much time contemplating just getting out the door.  Hurried off to work.  I call my daily work triatholon---RUN, SHOWER, CLOCK IN TO WORK in record time.  I am always trying to beat the clock it seems.  I need a NICHE moment.  Which basically means an attitude about not caring whatsoever about time and just doing at the moment what feels good/right-- cartwheel if you want, run backwards, laugh, love, play, hopscotch, backbend, SMILE.          AP for 6.2  =  8:15.  Canyon run in the am-- the UVM course  : D.

No sleep last night.  My husband pointed out that it was hot.  I couldn't figure out why  I couldn't fall asleep.  Had to close my windows as neighbors BRIGHT light and NOISE (from kids' night games) added to my problem of getting to sleep.  I was up every hour.  And I felt achy, bones and joints.  Allergies?  Anyway picked up Melanie at Vivian park (she was running 12 miles and I   20 miles).  I parked my other car at the mouth of Provo Canyon.  My dear husband drove us up to Wallsburg and got us there for a 6:15am start.  It was chilly at first but then became quite nice.  Ran miles 1.5 to 19.5 of the UVM course.  It is hard to find the right road of the start so we just drove up the canyon 18 miles heading towards Wallsburg.  What a nice springy day.  Melanie felt great so she kept me alive the first 9 miles that I wanted to run slow but it didn't turn out that way.  We were doing awesome on all those hills.  It is NOT an easy course for those first 15 miles.  Anyway  ONLY had ONE water stop at Mel's ending (12 miles) and then I was off on my own for the last 6 miles to the mouth of the canyon.  To get in 18 miles I had to go beyond the light under the bridge on University past the parking lot then turn around to run back to the parking lot to get 18 even.  Pace for 18 miles = 7:04.  Splits:  8:01, 7:28, 7:12, 7:04, HILL- 7:14,   bigger hill  7:18,  6:47 a little break from the hills, 7:09 (more hills),  7:17 and more HILLS, 6:48, 7:03,  bye Melanie!!, 6:51, and yet ANOTHER HILL-- 7:04,  6:42 (living for the down hill : D) , 6:48, 6:46, 6:43, those last three were only slight downhill,  6:49 ( last bit uphill as I turned around).  FEELING PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THINGS.  NOT EVEN feeling it YET.  OFF to WORK I go for half a shift.  Happy DAY!! : DDDDDD

After Saturday I wasn't sure how I would feel, but I feel fine/normal.  A little achiness in my right achilles.  It has been my "gremlin" lately but I am working on it.  Mind over body.   So I laid in bed at 5:30am knowing I wouldn't fall back to sleep but wondering the time frame I had to run 14 MLR at relaxed pace.  Decided to get in 11 and head back to be there for my daughter to have breakfast then leave for jr. high.  I got in 12 leaving at 5:56am.   Then after 20 minutes went back out for the last two miles.  It was a windy run.  Ran on the trail by Art Dye Park passing Lone Peak and up through the golf course and then on the trail thru Cedar Hills coming out at Deerfield Elementary to home in PG.  AP for 14 miles =  8:08.  Wore shorts, headband, gloves and two nylon shirts.  Felt very nice.  First mile 9:22. When my pace got to 7:15  for a mile a LITTLE BIRDY whispered in my ear to SLOW down even though it felt easy.  I am trying to save myself for the big day.  : D.

8 RAINY miles at 4:40am before work.  AP 8:04.    Wore my trail shoes to give my feet a different feel.  Felt nice, especially in the rain.   :D

8 miles again in my trail shoes before work, in between rain storms.  Nice and easy-- AP 8:10.

4 mile warm up at 8:11 AP, 8:34, 8:20, 8:00, 7:53  on the TM-- 2 % grade until the last 1/2 mile where I put it to 1 % to prepare for the 6 x 1200s (I jumped off the TM and stretched at 3.5 miles and brief potty trip, refill water).   Ran 1/2 mile and went straight into the workout.  First 4 at 6:15 pace (2 minutes of jogging  in between at 8:49 pace).  After the forth one my husband was bugging me how long I had and I mentally lost a bit of focus due to lack of sugar to the brain.  I only had a sip of gatorade before this work out and a piece of wholegrain toast at 7:30am.  It was now 10:40am.  I felt quite hungry and then nauseated.  My thoughts were about worms eating my food in my stomach so that didn't help AT ALL.  So basically I hopped off the moving TM for a few seconds then got back on to do the in between time and REBOOT my brain to STAY IN THE GAME.  I tricked my brain and told it it was only doing 2 laps, also starting at a 6:18 pace but brought it down to a 6:11 pace by the end.  MY BRAIN fell for it and I was able to finish the fifth one  : D.   I hopped of the TM again very briefly to take some deep breaths, I was dizzy.  Got back on did the two minutes and right back into the LAST ONE.  Started at 6:18 but turned it to 6:15 before the first lap and then down to 6:11 for a bit and ended at 6:00 pace for the last .05.  Glad that's over.  Cooldown two minutes again then to 8- 7:04 pace for the last 1.5 miles.  This is the last difficult SW before UVM.  I do have a 3 x 1600 meters at the same pace coming up in two weeks but some reason that sounds easier than 6 x 1200.   : D.

Drove to meet up with McKenzie (then Aubrey around 1.5 miles in the River Bottoms) in Spanish Fork at the start of the 1/2 marathon route (main st. park).  Raining all night and drizzling on my way there....dark clouds over my house but whiter less harmless looking clouds down there.  I-15 was a sight!!   Made it alive : D.  Got there a little late but started out at 4:52 am per garmin.  The first 4 miles no rain, removed upper shirt and headband.  Then RAIN AND MORE RAIN.  We were PRETTY SOAKED.  Nothing was dry.  It rained until about mile 10.  But it already caused enough damage.  Brrr....my shoulders were numb because my nylon shirt was sopping wet.  Feet were fun to look at after the run-- you can see all the dead skin more clearly when your feet have been soaking in the water.    We did the half marathon loop and a lot of the 10k route as well.  A nice few hills in there.  Occasional wind but nothing drastic at all.  Ate two gus.  My quads were achy from the start but then that went away and then my pelvis and lower back to the hamstrings were burning with nerve pain.  McKenzie at mile 17 needed to pick it up to get home quickly to her kids.  I tried to stay up with her but man alive my butt and pelvis was in too much pain.  I was kind of cold too.  A double workout for me isn't alway the easiest.  But it is how I have to do it with my work schedule.  Yesterday's SW took the energy out of my legs.  I did manage to still pick it up, but just not as much as SPEEDSTAR McKenzie.  Glad Aubrey ran with me a bit more until she headed for home (and she offered to wash my outter shirt for me so I wouldn't have to carry that extra five pounds of water weight back to my car.  I was trying to rinse it out at our last stop to no avail).  Caught up to McKenzie as she turned around at the finish and ran another 1/2 mile with her then I finished one more mile to get my 22 miles in.  AP 7:29 for 22 miles.  It may actually have been faster (at least it felt like it) as my garmin read low battery early on in my run and then completely died at mile 21.75.  I turned it back on and it gave me a little bit more time, then died again.  Just trying to make my little garmin ENGINE get in some more mileage :  D.  I find when my garmin reads low battery my paces go a little more bezerk.  Feeling mentally tough.   I was able to push it even though my pelvis was getting up there on the pain scale.  My heart and mind were raring to go.  Will pretty much EAT all day. 

LARD LEGS!!!  chose to run AFTER work instead of before work.  Got home later than usual-- 7:15.  Got dressed quickly and got out the door.  The first 1/2 mile felt like I was running in a bounce house.  My legs were like jello.  I felt so non-runner like.  My legs are swollen from 22 miles yesterday AND mostly from working 14 hours and eating CRAP--- seriously a DONUT and an ORANGE roll for breakfast!!!  oh and yesterday I ate at In an Out with Troy and my little Amber.  FRIES, BURGER AND A SHAKE!!  not to mention KNEADERS FRENCH TOAST (two pieces, almost) for BREAKFAST!!!  I was sure feeling it.  Every few weeks I get in a cycle of poor eating for a couple days.  Then with runs like these I remember why NOT to eat like that and am back to "normal".  Thankfully I will NOT feel like that on MARATHON MORNING just three weeks away  : D.  AP for 5.5 miles-- 8:32.

 TAPER MADNESS BEGINS  :  D.  Come out come out wherever you are (phantom pains).  7 Easy miles (AP 7:56) with Troy on the Memorial 10K course.  Did  8 x 150 meters (.1 miles) STRIDES.  Felt way comfortable and fun.  Pace in these ranging from 5:40 to 6:00 depending on how I hit  the turns into traffic. VERY flat course.  Not a single bubble in it AT ALL.  Not sure what pace I should run it at.  I haven't run a 10k RACE in 22 months or so.    Should be interesting!!  My training schedule calls for it so I found one local in Orem.  I ran on RUN13's treadmill at the Women's Expo in April to get a free entry into it.  I am torn if I should run my 17 mile long run in conjunction with the 10K or just run the 17 miles the day before?  The race starts at 8am.  Kind of later than I like and I don't want to waste too much time away from my family on my OFF weekend or run too long of a warm up waiting for the start.  Temporary Decision- I think I will run the 17 on Friday at 8:00 pace and save energy for the 10K with a 3 mile warmup.  All of my runs have had NO recovery in them so I shouldn't worry  too much.  My goal for the 10k is to go under 41 minutes.  My PR is 43:51 (2009, 4th of July).  So BELIEVE I can beat that.   Unless I fall over.  NOT.  

12 miles--  6 UP  6 Down. Ran up to the AF CANYON and past the entrance than back home up THE GOLF COURSE CANYON HILL. Gotta love it.  A biker was disappointed I wasn't continuing onward (he yelled out to me, "awwww I thought you were going to keep going).  I so felt strong going uphill at 7:30 pace for a bit, I felt I could go on and do my long run today but I really should have my long run fall closer to the schedule than this so I am running it Friday instead of Saturday.  Invigorating run, however my right achilles is still my gremlin and  is compounding it to my upper knee.  I think I need an adjustment for sure as my lower back is very achy.  I am sure my discs haven't had time to REFILL in between all these runs and since I show moderate degenerative disc disease in the spine (bone scan last May) it is important to watch this. I don't drink well, I am camel-like.  Drink a lot than go a while and push myself without hydration.  This run was  without hydration whatsoever.  I was slightly parched.  I wore shorts, headband, shortsleeves (took off the second long sleeve).    It was cool out with a slight wind, more in some areas.  Love the smell of freshly cut grass  : D.   Ran 1 cooldown mile in 7:43.  AP for 13 miles=  7:43.  First uphill 6 at 8:08.  Took it easy on the way down (only one at 6:59).  I am forgetting I need to try to do well in the 10k and not over do it during the week.  Oh well, just couldn't stop myself.  : D.  

trail shoes, tired, slow, early, 5.5, 8:41 AP, before work.

garmin died, 5.5 easy miles, AP 8:30 or so, EXTREMELY WINDY, TWISTER-like ambiance, worried, persevered, MORE than tired, worked again in Provo.  Long BUSY shift.  Legs achy, shooting nerve pains in all sorts of places in my legs and feets, like walking on pins and needles.  EATING POORLY, obviously causing issues.  

garmin still dead, forgot to recharge.  the battery isn't holding its charge.  ran to kim's at 5:03am a 3.29 mile route (infamous course tool).  ran slowly.  legs so VERY achy especially right achilles and calf, needed to go easy today due to 10k tomorrow.  ran 10.62 miles with kim at 7:58 pace.  right on target.  besides the nerve pains I felt fine cardio wise, wondering if hopefully the down week now means UP week for UVM in two weeks : D.    ran the same route back to my house as i took to kim's house.  total AP 8:05  for 17.2 miles using the course tool and my ol' stop watch for start and finish time.  No gu or fuel except water at kim's at mile 14.    brief stop at texaco for kim to use an actual potty : d.    i am going to go get adjusted today and a massage i got for my birthday.  hoping for a better feelin' day tomorrow.  just going for 41 minutes or better.  

Woke to the same bum leg and worried about running this 10K  but I told myself I could make myself do anything, especially for only 6.2 miles.  I warmed up for 3.05 miles at 8:27 pace, I think.  Removed the headgear and overlying shirt, gloves.  Lined up at start and almost had an anxiety attack seeing the four REALLY fit looking girls towing the line.  GEEZ.  I felt so wimpy and blubbery.  Well one of the toner looking ones I beat by 8 seconds passing her at 3 miles and then she almost tripped me at 3.3 miles, running on my heels.  Basically the start was scary-- HELLO 6:07 pace, NOT ME.  I think I even saw 6:00 for a few seconds and that was REAL time.  I did NOT want to do this because it is NOT good pacing so  I slowed and then I find that that sets me up for a slower second mile due to the early SURGE.  The second mile was towards the canyon on 800 north with a NICE HEADWIND.  I was mentally not in the game and was asking myself why do you have to run in all this pain?  Why?  SERIOUSLY?  Why not stop?  JUST STOP. Pulled my head out when we turned south, and the wind was to the side.  Ahhhh.  I just passed a muscular girl (found out later she is 25 years old).  She passes me back and I let her stay ahead for a bit longer then pass her and stay ahead of her for the rest of the race.  At just before mile 4 there was a cop car on the side of the road with the crosswalk just in front of it.  I wanted to cut off going around the car to the right because we have to turn left across the street.  I was worried about cutting the course short so I went around the car.  But apparently it would have helped me to be right on 6.2 miles and to get that sub-41.  At mile 4.5 we start passing walkers for the 5k and some I have to kindly tell them I am on their left as they were walking not noticing the 10kers.  I saw two guys out in front of me about 20-30 seconds ahead of me and I tried to gain on them but my leg hurt like the dickens and I couldn't kick it in.  I also felt I needed my gu that I totally forgot to take out of my car before the race.  Dang.  I did get water at two of the three stations.  It tasted great!!  I finally heard Troy with .1 to go, even through my music, so I picked it up the last turn having to DODGE around at least ten 5kers.  I saw the clock at 40:55 and I knew I was going to miss the sub 41 but oh well 41:02 is pretty close and with a 17 miler yesterday/bum leg I feel pretty good about it.  My leg is currently throbbing-- mostly my inner quad.  It has a good sized lump on it. That can't be good.  It is as if someone punched me in my leg and it swelled up but when you feel it you can feel the muscle is swollen.  It is stemming from my right hip and radiates to my heel and toes.  Burning, pulsating kind of intense pain.  The massage therapist said is was VERY tight.  So for me it is massage, massage, massage until Utah Valley Marathon : D.  I am sure hoping it can respond well to therapy.  Splits:  6:26, 6:46 (mental game into the wind),  6:35,  6:29, 6:31 (thinking I  so HAVE THIS so not sure why I couldn't turn it up the last mile.  It was a long stretch, slight incline, very slight, majorly MENTAL), 6:46 (how in the heck?  GOT GU?  NEW RIGHT LEG PLEASE!!),   .22 miles at 6:25 pace (hard to go fast passing runners and turning, I don't think I picked it up until the last .05 miles).  Good training run. Now time to heal.  

Woke and happened to look up races for today for fun at 6:30am.  And lo and behold a race not even 2 miles from my house and a free one (donations accepted for the troops of course) if no shirt.  Race day registration as well.  So I called Melanie and hey she was already doing it.  Seriously didn't even know about this race.   I also annoyed my husband so much that he couldn't fall back to sleep so he joined me a half hour later, waiting in the freezing rain.  No lie.  There was snow on some parts of the ground and occasional bouts of a downpour.  But when the race started 20 minutes late-- the rain had stopped  : D.  The plan was to just go easy.  But easy was just TOO easy.  This was a very HILLY course.  Awesome.  Loved it all.  I felt great (besides the burning pain in my right hip and calf).  I welcomed the uphill.  I was visualizing conquering UVM's first half of rolling hills and these were very comparable.  I was at a 7:38 pace at first but at a half mile I was just too held back that I picked it up and passed a lot of runner's before the 5k/10k split off.  More people were running the 5k so runners were further between.  I was just enjoying myself climbing the hills.  I did my usual arm swings to the air to stretch and kick backs while running.  And then after passing about 5 guys I did the most stupid thing.  I went off course.  A guy just seconds ahead of me asked me which way to go.  He went straight, I was confused and thought we were already at the cemetery so I went left early which ended up adding on to make it a real 10k.  The course measured short for everyone else (6.0 miles).   I finally realized where I was and knew how to get back on course but when I met up with everyone in the cemetery I had already added on .2 miles and people I had already passed were in front of me.  Oh well.  At least I wasn't going for time today.  It was more like a LT (lactate threshold run).  I tried to catch and pass orange cap dude again and his friend but wasn't wanting to go faster than my 6:30 pace I was doing.  I need to conserve for the big day. A bit before I made the wrong turn I could see Melanie and Jane up ahead in the distance.  Adding on I no longer could see them.  Silly me.  But at least it was the right distance : D.  So 42:28 for 6.2 miles (6:51 pace).  So glad if felt easy even though I could use a normal right leg anytime soon.  I think it is possibly an ovarian cyst pushing in on the nerves in there-- I have had this type of significant pain before down my leg--piriformis like and then after 3-4 days it goes away.  Hope that is not too much info for some of you but it is what women deal with.  I have intense rebound tenderness in the lower right quadrant of my abdomen.  If it gets worse I will check it out further otherwise it is still massaging of the fascia (thanks Rad) for me from my hip to my achilles.  BTW Troy ran it 47:45.  When I cheered he sprinted in.  He looked great!! : D.

5 easy miles in the am before work.  I guess I am in taper mode.  Felt too easy.  Pace for 5 miles 8:37.

MAJOR FLARE of INTENSE NERVE PAIN radiating in many directions on my right side--- mainly hip, calf, heel, ankle, neck, side of face, down right arm, wrist and fingers.  I tend to get more flares in late spring.  Not sure what it is.  Super burning, some tingling, numbness and stabbing pain ALL on the right side.  Makes me feel like something is attacking me...this has been a 7 day attack, and its been one of the top ones, lasting longer.  Super annoyed.  Still not going to a Dr.   A friend tonight at a social mentioned about her father in law with shingles that keep surfacing thru nerve pain now.  I could liken it to that type of pain.  It seems systematic, at times predicatable/pattern-like.  He too stopped going to the Dr. for help and understanding.  I would also liken my pain to the areas shown on the fibromyalgia commercials.  Although I hate that diagnosis since it seems to be a catchall disease, not fully understood, yet many diseases are not anyway.  I worked through it all, knowing that making it through a 12 hour shift in this intensity of pain and not talking about it much WILL make me stronger in the marathon.  It is just that at this intensity--if it were next week, I  WOULD NOT run the marathon.   I couldn't mentally get my body to WANT to even start to run.  SO  I give myself these next days to rest and recover and pray I go into remission again.  : D.  EASY miles before work-- pain was not good--  5 @ AP 8:36.

Thought I was fine when I awakened but as soon as I sat down in the morning, from lying down of course all night the pain returned intensely.  Skipped on the 3 x 1600 meters (8miles) and tried to find ways without medication to stop the pain.  I had a massage appt so kept that and had deep tissue massage to my shoulder, upper back and legs.  It hurt.  Then the pain was back.  So at 415pm I drove to the American Fork River and sat in it as best  I could (it WAS RAGING!!!).  Managed to sit with my pelvis in the water. BRRRRRrrrrrrr!!   Cold as ice for sure.  Stayed in exactly 7 minutes.  Then thawed out gradually.  After an hour and feeling pretty sad for myself I took a hot shower then decided to just get out and run two miles.  Well, two miles turned into 3 then 4 and the just decided to go to 5 miles and then run with Mel, Kim and Jane tomorrow morning up the AF canyon.  But DARN it my calves are like pregnancy calves--- charlie horses in both of them but mainly the right.  Seriously have never had this running injury.  The massage therapist worked a lot on my piriformis muslcle.  I had TONS of trigger points.  It hurt so good.  5 VERY EASY pace miles in the WIND at 8:30 pace.

505am run up AF Canyon with Mel, Kim, and Jane.   Parked at the very mouth of the canyon and off we went.  No water.  Freezing temps, well almost with the artic air from the snow capped mountains and the nice headwind we had for a bit.  Quite enjoyed this workout.  Calf and piriformis were VERY tight and quite painful at the start but either the cold or the endorphins numbing the pain helped tons.  Brrrrrr!!  Felt pretty tight on the downhill and a bit sore.  Oh and then I was like "oh yah I had a deep tissue massage yesterday, duh!!".  At first downhill was a killer on the calf and achilles, again the endorphins kicked in and after 4 miles of downhill I was able to get in a 6:22 mile : D.  Only one.  I then slowed to run in with Kim.  Her piriformis was screaming too.  The sloped and angle roads combined with the cold were not a good combination.  The mountain air and BRISK river was lovely.  AP  7:35 for 16 miles.  AP for 8 miles up (8:13)-- WE ARE TALKING a 1,616 foot net elevation gain thanks to my garmin for that detail.    A little over an hour later Kim picked me up and we headed for some TRUE cryotherapy in the AF RAGING WATERS.  Seriously COLD.  ICE COLD.  Lasted only 3 minutes.  Not a second longer.